The Leader - March/April 2009 - (Page 40) EXECUTIVE P RO F I L E Seeing Opportunity in the Downturn: Jones Lang LaSalle’s Richard McBlaine BY MEGAN MCCANN s companies attempt to respond to the current economic environment, they are sharply focused on controlling expenses, and generally this could mean layoffs or other belt-tightening measures. But, when these companies look at their non-compensation expenses, one that stands pretty tall is the real estate platform. And, that puts corporate real estate (CRE) into center focus to help companies respond and prosper in these difficult times, explains Richard McBlaine, President of Strategic Consulting for Jones Lang LaSalle. “Now is the time for real estate to come forward with ideas, scenarios, analytics, and creativity to help their companies navigate through these times,” he says. “And, real estate can help their companies be in a posi- A tion to prosper when the inevitable turnaround in our economy comes.” Career Path McBlaine began his career as a mechanical engineer, designing large-building HVAC systems. In his nearly ten years with IBM, he gained real estate experience in “everything from overseeing engineering work to managing a territory as a lease negotiator to being in an EMEA headquarters operation in Paris for three and a half years.” He left IBM for a national real estate development company and has worked in the real estate services side ever since. As International Director and Chairman of Strategic Consulting for Jones Lang LaSalle, McBlaine leads a team of consultants based across the U.S. Here, he leads various initia- tives to identify the most current business trends in order to create leading-edge solutions for clients. McBlaine also serves as the firm’s Director of Strategic Planning in the Americas. In this role, he applies his expertise to ensure that Jones Lang LaSalle delivers the most innovative solutions to its clients. “We are charged with helping clients think through their challenges and opportunities and create custom and creative solutions for them,” he says. McBlaine earned an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management and a BS in mechanical engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology. He is a 20-year member of CoreNet Global and serves on the editorial advisory board for CoreNet Global’s LEADER magazine. He says he continues to attend “most, if not all” the North American Summits and recognizes 2 0 0 9 THE LE ADE R 40 MARCH / APRIL
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