A conference room at Cushman & Wakefield’s East Rutherford office — Photo by Jeffrey Vock for Real Estate NJ
By Joshua Burd
Cushman & Wakefield has named two new executive vice chairmen in New Jersey, part of 15 newly announced broker promotions in the firm’s three offices in the state.
Andrew Merin and David Bernhaut, who are part of C&W’s East Rutherford-based capital markets practice, have each earned the title of executive vice chairman. Merin joined the firm in 1983 and founded the New Jersey investment sales team in 1987, giving way to three decades as a top player in the state’s commercial real estate sector.
Bernhaut has been with the team for 30 years, C&W said, describing him as the data-driven force behind his team’s success and a mentor to its thriving incubator of analysts.
Additionally, the firm said that Charles Fern, Gary Gabriel and Jules Nissim have each been elevated to vice chairman. Fern, a senior supply chain expert in the Iselin office, has been C&W’s top industrial producer by a large margin over the past two years, the firm said.
Gabriel, meantime has been with the East Rutherford-based capital markets team since 1994 and is one of four partners within the practice. Nissim joined the firm in 1990 and is also based in East Rutherford, where he is a well-known industrial specialist.
Brian Whitmer, also a principal with the capital markets team, was named executive managing director. In a news release, C&W said he handles sales of all asset types, with an emphasis on multifamily, retail and land transactions.
“The Cushman & Wakefield brand has been built on the quality of our people, and it is always gratifying to reward our brokers for their outstanding contributions,” Andrew Judd, New Jersey market leader, said in a prepared statement. “Our recent promotions provide a great snapshot of who we are in New Jersey — from seasoned professionals to the next generation of up-and-coming talent.
“They represent tenants and landlords in transactions of all types and sizes, and across all sectors of commercial real estate brokerage.”
Cushman also announced five new managing directors among its New Jersey brokers, including the Iselin-based industrial specialist Jason Barton, who focuses mainly on the central New Jersey market and has risen quickly through the ranks of the firm. The promotions also include Ben Brenner, who represents office landlords and tenants across multiple industries and has earned his third promotion in five years out of the firm’s Morristown office.
David DeMatteis, based in East Rutherford, is a tenant representation specialist with multiple national portfolio assignments, having joined C&W in 2001 and recently represented several owner clients along the Hudson waterfront, the news release said. William O’Keefe, who is based in Morristown, also was named managing director after negotiating more than 8 million square feet of leases during his career.
The other newly promoted managing director is Jon Williams, who represents local and national tenants, with expertise in the strategic analysis of alternatives for acquisitions, dispositions and lease renewals, among other transaction types.
Additionally, C&W has promoted Allan Greene to senior director in the firm’s Iselin office, a nod to his 20-year history as a tenant advisory specialist with the firm and its predecessors. Andrew Schwartz, who is based in Morristown, has also earned the senior director title in recognition of his role as an investment sales broker, with a focus on middle-market transactions for local and national clients.
The real estate services firm said Jerry Shifrin was promoted to director, while Mina Shehata was named senior associate. Shifrin, who is based in East Rutherford, represents local and regional landlords on agency leasing assignments and corporate users in their real estate portfolio needs, while Shehata is an East Rutherford-based broker who represents corporate clients and landlords as a leasing agent.
