Corporate Governance

George M. Marcus is our founder and has served as our chairman since 1971. Mr. Marcus is also the founder and chairman of Marcus & Millichap Company, the parent company of a diversified group of real estate service, investment and development firms, including, SummerHill Housing Group, Pacific Urban Residential, Meridian Property Company and Hanover Real Estate Investors. Mr. Marcus is also the founder and chairman of the board of Essex Property Trust, a public multifamily real estate investment trust, and was one of the original directors of Plaza Commerce Bank and Greater Bay Bancorp, both of which were formerly publicly-held financial institutions. He has extensive knowledge of the Company, over 40 years of experience working in the real estate industry, and significant experience serving on boards of other public companies. Mr. Marcus’ professional memberships include Real Estate Roundtable, Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics at the University of California, Berkeley and Urban Land Institute, as well as numerous other professional and community organizations. Mr. Marcus graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from San Francisco State University in 1965, was honored as Alumnus of the Millennium in 1999, and received his honorary doctorate in 2011. In June 2019, Mr. Marcus received an honorary doctorate from the American College of Greece. He is also a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Program and Georgetown University’s Leadership Program.

Hessam Nadji has served as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a director of the Company since March 2016. Mr. Nadji previously served as senior executive vice president and chief strategy officer. He joined the Company as vice president of research in 1996 and held various other senior management roles through the years, including chief marketing officer and head of the Company’s specialty brokerage divisions. He played a leading role in the Company’s initial public offering in 2013. Mr. Nadji received a B.S. in information management and computer science from City University in Seattle and has over 30 years of experience working in the real estate industry.

Collete English Dixon became a director in November 2021.  Collete currently serves as Executive Director of the Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate, Roosevelt University in Chicago.  She previously held various key officer and management roles at PGIM Real Estate/Prudential Real Estate Investors (PREI), which is a business unit of Prudential Financial. In her role as Executive Director/Vice President of transactions from 1996 to 2016, as co-leader of PREI’s national investment dispositions program, she managed a number of real estate professionals and oversaw the sale of investment properties throughout the US.  Prior to her role in dispositions, Collete was responsible for sourcing wholly owned and joint venture real estate investment opportunities covering all property types, including office, rental and for-sale multi-family, hotel, industrial and retail properties.  Her experience also includes property development and asset management.  In addition to her corporate roles, Collete is a member of various private real estate boards and has served as President of CREW Network, Chair of the CREW Network Foundation, and President of CREW Chicago.

Norma J. Lawrence became a director in October 2013. Ms. Lawrence served as a partner in the audit department of KPMG LLP where she specialized in real estate. Ms. Lawrence was with KPMG from 1979 through 2012 and she was a member of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, the Pension Real Estate Association, the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries, the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She also was a member of the Organization of Women Executives, the Valley Development Forum, and the Los Angeles Chapter of Construction Financial Management Association, and is currently a member of WomenCorporateDirectors. Ms. Lawrence currently serves on the board of Broadmark Realty Capital Inc. Ms. Lawrence received a B.A. in mathematics and an M.B.A. in finance and accounting from the University of California, Los Angeles. Ms. Lawrence possesses particular knowledge and expertise in accounting and financial matters in the real estate industry.

Lauralee E. Martin became a director in August 2019. Ms. Martin served as chief executive officer and president of Healthpeak Properties, Inc. (formerly HCP, Inc.), a real estate investment trust focusing on properties serving the healthcare industry, from October 2013 to July 2016. Prior to joining Healthpeak Properties, Inc., Ms. Martin served as chief executive officer of the Americas Division of Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc., a financial and professional services firm specializing in real estate services and investment management, from January 2013 to October 2013. She served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Jones Lang LaSalle from January 2002 and was appointed chief operating and financial officer in October 2005 and served in that capacity until January 2013. She joined Jones Lang LaSalle after 15 years with Heller Financial, Inc., a commercial finance company with international operations, where she was vice president, chief financial officer, senior group president, and president of the Real Estate group. Prior to joining Heller Financial, Ms. Martin held certain senior management positions with General Electric Credit Corporation. Ms. Martin currently serves on the boards of Kaiser Aluminum Corporation and QuadReal Property Group and previously served on the board of Healthpeak Properties, Inc., ABM Industries, KeyCorp and Gables Residential Trust. Ms. Martin received a B.A. in English from Oregon State University and an M.B.A. from the University of Connecticut. Ms. Martin has extensive experience with the commercial real estate services industry and in evaluating acquisition opportunities, managing banking relationships and investor relations as well as significant experience serving on the boards of other public companies.

Nicholas F. McClanahan became a director in October 2013. Mr. McClanahan served as managing director of strategic relationships at Accretive Advisor Inc. from September 2010 to February 2012. From April 1971 through April 2006, Mr. McClanahan worked at Merrill Lynch & Co. in various positions including as executive vice president of Merrill Lynch Canada and managing director of Merrill Lynch Private Banking Group from 2003 to 2005. Mr. McClanahan received a B.B.A. in finance from Florida Atlantic University and is a graduate of the Securities Industry Institute executive education program at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. McClanahan possesses particular knowledge and experience in finance, capital structure, strategic planning, management, and investment.

George T. Shaheen became a director in October 2013. Mr. Shaheen currently serves as a director of NetApp, Inc., [24]7.ai, and Green Dot Corporation, along with its wholly owned subsidiary, Green Dot Bank, and previously served as a director of Korn/Ferry International, an international executive search and consulting firm until August 2019. Mr. Shaheen was the chief executive officer of Siebel Systems, Inc., a CRM software company, from April 2005 until the sale of the company in January 2006. From October 1999 to April 2001, he served as the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Webvan Group, Inc. Mr. Shaheen was previously the chief executive officer and global managing partner of Andersen Consulting, which later became Accenture, from 1988 to 1999. He has served as an IT Governor of the World Economic Forum and as a member of the board of advisors for the Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He has also served on the board of trustees of Bradley University. Mr. Shaheen received a B.S. in marketing and an M.B.A. in management from Bradley University. Mr. Shaheen has extensive experience as a senior executive and director of numerous companies, and he possesses significant business and leadership knowledge and experience.

Don C. Watters became a director in October 2013. Mr. Watters is a director (senior partner) emeritus of McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. During his 28 years with McKinsey & Company, Mr. Watters served primarily Fortune 500 sized private sector clients in over a dozen different industries on issues of strategy, organization, and operations. He served on the board of directors of Merant PLC, a publicly-traded company based in the United Kingdom from the late 1990s to 2004. Additionally, Mr. Watters was on the advisory board of Cunningham Communication, Inc. Mr. Watters has served on the board of directors of numerous non-profit organizations, including the San Jose Ballet, the Tech Museum of Innovation, the American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley, the American Leadership Forum National, United Way Silicon Valley, and the Bay Area Garden Railway Society. He serves on the advisory board of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University and as a member of the El Camino Hospital Board of Directors. Mr. Watters received a B.S. in engineering from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. Mr. Watters possesses substantial knowledge and experience in strategic planning, organization, operations, and leadership of complex organizations.