Mark E. Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, the world’s fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm, announced that Carol J. Johnson has been appointed to its board of directors.
Effective immediately, Johnson becomes the company’s first independent director. Her appointment expands the board to nine directors. She will also be a member of the compensation committee of the board.
“We are thrilled to have Carol join Avison Young’s board of directors,” comments Rose. “Carol has extensive board experience, including as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, and she has demonstrated excellence while serving in C-suite and senior executive capacities with leading-edge companies. She has a well-established track record of leading companies through significant growth, enhanced operating efficiency and increased profitability on a large scale.”
Rose continues: “Furthermore, Carol’s leadership positions have afforded her valuable expertise in addressing issues facing boards today, including global human-capital talent deployment strategy, succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, digital disruption, and physical security and related cybersecurity. We look forward to benefiting from her experience and strategic leadership.”
For more than 25 years, Johnson has held increasingly large and complex line profit-loss roles, most recently as President and COO of AlliedBarton Security Services, LLC, where she was responsible for the growth and profit of a $2-billion private corporation. During her tenure with AlliedBarton, she helped guide the company through its sale by Blackstone Group to Wendel Group and the company’s subsequent merger with Universal Services.
Prior to joining AlliedBarton, she held senior executive positions with digital-and-print publishing and learning firm The Gale Group; human-capital-related firms Norrell Services, Inc. (now known as Spherion) and Kelly Services, Inc.; and travel management services firms Thomas Cook Travel and Official Airline Guides, Inc. During her career, she has successfully served global brand-name customers in diverse industry verticals, including commercial real estate, defense, aerospace, telecommunications, oil and gas, health care, government, education, retail and distribution.
“Carol has an extensive and diverse background that will benefit the needs of our fast-growing company,” notes Avison Young Principal Tod Hughes, who is a member of the board. “We look forward to working with Carol and capitalizing on her operational and account management expertise.”
Hughes adds: “Carol’s experience developing workforce solutions and creative executive compensation and recruitment strategies will be of tremendous advantage to Avison Young as we continue to open new offices, recruit top talent and provide more flexible employment opportunities and creative – rather than cookie-cutter – rewards programs. Ultimately, she will lend her voice, eyes and ears to Avison Young as we continue to enhance our collaborative culture and place corporate social responsibility and sustainability before profit.”
Johnson serves on the board of FTS International, a public company that provides oil and gas well-stimulation services, specializing in high-pressure hydraulic fracturing. In addition, she serves on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, as well as on the board of Merakey (formerly known as NHS Human Resources, Inc.), a Philadelphia-based leading not-for-profit provider of education and human services to those in need. She is also on the board and serves as Vice-President of the Union League Club of Philadelphia. Johnson is a director of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) – Philadelphia Chapter, and is a NACD Board Governance Fellow and holds the Cybersecurity Certificate.
“I look forward to serving on Avison Young’s board of directors and providing an unbiased and independent perspective as we ensure that the company fulfills its client, corporate and industry responsibilities,” says Johnson, who is based in Philadelphia. “I am excited to be associated with an organization that has such a strong leadership team, aspirations and quality focus towards customers and employees while striving to operate a socially responsible enterprise in the global commercial real estate marketplace. I aim to be an agent of positive change to support the company’s growth and evolution.”
Johnson holds a Master of Business Administration degree in accounting from Loyola University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and merchandising from Northern Illinois University.
Over the past nine years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 84 offices and from 300 to approximately 2,600 real estate professionals in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Europe.