Avison Young Strengthens Chicago Leadership Team

Beth Phillips, Managing Director, Avison Young. Image courtesy of Avison Young

Avison Young has hired Beth Phillips to serve as principal & managing director of the company’s Chicago offices. She brings more than 25 years of experience to her new role. 

The appointment is effective Oct. 26. Phillips will take over from Principal Danny Nikitas, who will head the company’s Chicago leasing department, expanding the brokerage team with new recruits and growing Avison Young’s client portfolio.

Before joining the firm, Phillips worked as vice president of real estate at Stay Alfred. Prior to that, she was vice president of asset management at Equity Commonwealth. Previously, Phillips held senior roles at public REITs including GGP and Equity Office Properties.

Phillips’ background also includes technology, having served as the founder & CEO of Fresh To Work, a platform created to promote healthy living through commercial real estate partnerships and corporate health and wellness programs. Phillips was also the co-founder & COO at Leaseable, a service that helps mitigate operational risks in large commercial real estate portfolios.

In September, Avison Young acquired PropTech firm Truss, an online tool for leasing office or coworking space. The brokerage company will merge the newly acquired technology into its global intelligence platform called AVANT.