Hipschman, a 30-year industry veteran, is the first non-family member to lead the company in its 93-year history
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Binswanger, an innovator in industrial commercial real estate since 1931, today announced the appointment of Jeffrey Hipschman as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Hipschman succeeds David Binswanger who will transition to the role of Managing Director and board member, joining long-time partner Jeff Binswanger in continuing to guide the firm.
This leadership change is a meaningful next step in Binswanger’s continuing transition to an employee-owned company which began in 2017, after more than eight decades of family ownership.
“There comes a time in any family business when a set of independent eyes can bring new perspectives that not only honor the legacy and values that have been created, but also imagine other horizons that were not prioritized,” said David Binswanger. Jeff Binswanger added, “Mr. Hipschman brings great perspective from two of the biggest firms in the industry and his energy and personality are infectious. We can’t wait to see where he can take us.”
For more than 30 years, Mr. Hipschman has been at the forefront of professional advisory companies from financial services to the commercial real estate sector. Since 2009, he has served as Senior Managing Director and market leader of CBRE’s New Jersey offices, responsible for leading all service lines as well as guiding the firm’s industrial and logistics strategy in the highly dynamic Northeast markets.
“I’m thankful to join the Binswanger team to aggressively focus on delivering unique real estate solutions to clients across the country and around the globe,” said Mr. Hipschman. “With an energized employee ownership perspective and Binswanger’s distinct culture of creativity and collaboration, we look forward to growing our company and leveraging the deep expertise of our colleagues to the benefit of our clients and partners.”
Prior to CBRE, Mr. Hipschman led operations and technology initiatives at Julien J. Studley Inc. (the predecessor to Savills, Inc.), where he rose to the position of Chief Information Officer. Mr. Hipschman began his career on Wall Street as an equity trading systems specialist, first for Salomon Brothers, then Lehman Brothers.
Building on Binswanger’s well-established reputation as an industrial and commercial real estate industry specialist, Mr. Hipschman plans to usher in a new era of innovation, collaboration, and growth for the 93-year-old company, fully leveraging the company’s unique and deep expertise across multiple disciplines, including engineering, life sciences, aerospace, food, and logistics. He will lead the company’s U.S. and global growth and expansion from its Philadelphia headquarters in addition to serving on the firm’s Board of Directors.
David Binswanger, who has served as CEO since 1997, will remain integral in the execution of its strategic plan as he focuses his full attention on business development, client servicing, potential new initiatives, and mentorship activities.
As long-time leaders of the firm, both David and Jeff Binswanger led several major transformations for the company in addition to effectively navigating the Great Recession and global pandemic. In the early 1990s, as companies began to conglomerate and the lines between sectors blurred, they hired top experts across multiple industries creating the firm’s Advisory and International Divisions to ensure clients received consistent, customized, and multidisciplinary support no matter the location. This centralized approach has allowed Binswanger to successfully advise many of the world’s leading companies on their most complex assets in primary, secondary, and tertiary locations around the globe.
With careers spanning more than four decades, David and Jeff Binswanger are recognized as industry-leading experts in creating unique value across real estate assets and portfolios. They have led numerous high-profile transactions totaling billions of dollars in value, including the Philadelphia headquarters for Aramark and Blue Cross, both the Comcast Center and Comcast Technology Center (the largest office deals in the city’s history), and more recently, a 400,000 square foot R&D facility for Amgen in South San Francisco and a two million square foot distribution center for Conair (the largest in Maryland). Recent international experience includes serving as lead advisor to Motorola in establishing an extensive manufacturing presence in Jaguariúna, Brazil. Leveraging the company’s extensive roster of industry expertise, the team has advised leading global occupiers including Apple, Siemens, Kohler, Sony, and Google; providing varied services from acquisition and disposition strategies to space utilization, labor analytics, energy/carbon management, equipment design and liquidation, and lease administration.
When offered this unique leadership opportunity, Mr. Hipschman expressed his gratitude to both David and Jeff as well as the entire Binswanger family: “Following generations of Binswanger company leaders is an honor and special challenge. The family’s impact on the company, our industry, and the Philadelphia community is legendary and indelible.” He continued, “I’m thrilled to become David and Jeff’s colleague and protégé in building the next chapter of the Binswanger legacy of unrivaled industry specialization combined with the personal perspective and devotion that only an employee-owned company can provide.”
About Binswanger
Binswanger, a global leader in full-service commercial real estate, has been helping its clients realize their full real estate potential since 1931. Founded by real estate innovator and pioneer, Frank Binswanger Sr., the company operates with the understanding that real estate can strengthen businesses and transform communities. The company offers a variety of services benefitting both owners and occupiers including global real estate brokerage, location consulting, investment sales, tenant representation, corporate advisory, strategic consulting, and a variety of management services. Having worked with more than half of the Fortune 500, the employee-owned company has long been known as the industry leader in the acquisition and disposition of industrial and commercial facilities around the globe. For more information, please visit www.binswanger.com.
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