Stuart Scott, JLL’s Founding CEO, Dies at 80

Stuart Scott (Photo Courtesy of Hamilton College)

Stuart Scott, who was instrumental in the creation of JLL and the firm’s emergence as a global powerhouse, died Feb. 26. The cause was non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the company said in a statement. Scott was 80.

Scott was affiliated with the JLL family of companies for 45 years. He joined LaSalle Partners, a predecessor firm, in 1973, and held a series of executive positions at the company over the next two decades. In 1992 he was appointed CEO of LaSalle Partners LP and LaSalle Management Partners LP.

In that role, he led LaSalle’s 1997 acquisition of Jones Lang Wootton and the combined firm’s initial public offering. Following the merger, he served as Jones Lang LaSalle’s founding CEO from 1997 to 2001. He became chairman for the next three years, then added the CEO’s position for a second tour of duty in early 2004 until retiring from both roles in 2005.

Inspiration and Recognition

Scott was “a truly inspirational figure in U.S. and global real estate circle,” said Christian Ulbrich, JLL’s CEO, in a statement. He described Scott as “one of the leading figures in guiding the strong and successful growth of LaSalle Partners through the 1990s, and a primary architect of the ground-breaking 1999 merger with Jones Lang Wootton.”

Long after stepping down as JLL’s chairman & CEO, Scott remained active. From 2009 until 2018, Scott was LaSalle Hotel Properties’ chairman, a position he had previously held from 1998 to 2000.

For his contributions to the industry, in 1999 Scott was named Real Estate Executive of the Year by Commercial Property World, an annual conference sponsored by Commercial Property News, the predecessor to CPE. In 2004, the Urban Land Institute presented him with its lifetime achievement award.

Scott is survived by his wife, Anne O’Laughlin Scott, a retired judge in Cook County, Ill., and a former chair of the Martin County, Fla., Board of Commissioners; seven children; and nine grandchildren.

A native of Montreal, Scott graduated from Hamilton College in 1961 and received a law degree from Northwestern University. He began his career as an attorney with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission and later worked for Arthur Rubloff & Co., according to information on the Hamilton College website.

Scott’s undergraduate alma mater was a favorite beneficiary of his philanthropic activities. He joined Hamilton’s board of directors in 1985, led its annual fund and a major fundraising initiative in the 1990s, and served as chairman of the board from 2002 to 2008. The college presented him with an honorary Doctor of Laws in 2009.

“Stuart was a man of great conviction, integrity, and vision,” said David Wippman, president of Hamilton College, in a statement. “His love for Hamilton was profound, and he demonstrated that affection by giving considerably of his time and donating generously to support College priorities, including establishing two scholarships for students. He made difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions because he knew they were in Hamilton’s long-term best interests.”