John Cushman, Longtime Industry Leader, Dies at 82

John C. Cushman, 1941-2023. Photo courtesy of Cushman & Wakefield

John C. Cushman, who was instrumental to Cushman & Wakefield’s status as a global powerhouse in commercial real estate services, has died at 82, the company said on Thursday.

During a career at the company, which began in 1963, Cushman rose to become the company’s chairman and subsequently co-chairman of the company founded by his grandfather, J. Clydesdale Cushman, and great-uncle Bernard Wakefield, in 1917.

Before taking on those executive positions, he was known as one of the top leasing brokers in the nation. He moved to Los Angeles to open the company’s first office in Southern California and served as president of the company’s western region, where he oversaw 60 percent of the company’s U.S. offices.

In 1978, Cushman joined his twin brother, Louis B. Cushman, to start Cushman Realty Corp. The company eventually grew to 11 offices with 200 employees. Thirteen years later, that step was followed by one of the industry’s most significant homecomings. In 2001, Cushman Realty Corp. merged with Cushman & Wakefield, and John Cushman became global chairman of Cushman & Wakefield.

Another watershed move came in 2015, when Cushman & Wakefield merged with DTZ. In 2017, Cushman served as chairman of the committee for its centennial.

At the time of his passing, Cushman was a member of the firm’s global advisory board. He served on the boards of 14 public corporations during his career.