Johnson Capital Promotes Carnes to President

By Barbra Murray, Contributing Editor

Cliff Carnes

Johnson Capital has made some big changes at the top, promoting COO Cliff Carnes to the position of president of the commercial real estate capital advisory firm. Carnes’s appointment allows Guy Johnson, who had been doing double duty as both president and CEO, to focus his attention on the company’s growth pursuits and strategic direction in the singular role of CEO.

It’s been a speedy rise to the top for Carnes. He came aboard the firm in 2007 as senior vice president of operations and one year later, took on the job of COO. As president, Carnes will not only continue his previous duties of overseeing the firm’s operational and oversight responsibilities, he will spearhead Johnson Capital’s growth agenda. The company is in expansion mode and Carnes will take the helm in the endeavor by opening new offices and identifying fresh business and financing prospects.

Carnes has a clear vision of how to achieve Johnson Capital’s goals under his tenure as president. “[I hope to] continue to foster a great collaborative work environment that retains and attracts top tier professionals,” Carnes, told Commercial Property Executive. “Beyond the ongoing cultivation of a top-notch team, he added that the plan is to “expand geographically in markets where we don’t have a presence and that present substantial opportunity either by being an underserved market or a developing/ expanding market.”

Timing is everything and, with the commercial real estate market continuing its rebound from the oppressive ramifications of the global economic meltdown, Johnson Capital’s blueprint for augmenting its footprint is in place at what appears to be the right juncture in the capital markets. “With market dynamics, the views of commercial property by owners, the valuations and lenders’ willingness to look at a variety of deals all changing, now is a great time for Johnson Capital to provide value to borrowers,” said Carnes. “These dynamics are generally positive for the industry but engaging a value-add intermediary greatly increases a borrower’s ability to know all the various debt and equity options available.”