"He's got a fresh outlook. Not one that's steeped in industry traditions," says Mosler, adding that Marano is "from outside the industry, but his practical experience is in another industry that's gone through significant change recently. He's proven to be able to work through that."

In fact, Marano even noted that one of the aspects that attracted him to the position was the fact that, "a lot is happening in the [real estate] industry right now with the unfortunate economy," adding that he expect to be able to bring "profitable growth" to the company.

The COO post has been empty since Mosler joined C&W, primarily because he felt he needed "to understand the ins and outs of the business even on the most mundane level. I wanted to be in touch will all parts of the business during my initial years," he says. But as additional duties were added to his plate, "I realized I needed a partner," he explains. "I wanted the ability to spend more time thinking about strategy, business development, and client driven issues."