In his introduction, Schein noted that Mosler would be taking the reins at Cushman & Wakefield as of January 1, 2005, after being president of U.S. operations for the firm since 2000. "What changes can we expect to see in 2005 and beyond for the company?" Schein asked.
Before describing his plans for the company, Mosler first lauded the outgoing president and CEO Arthur J. Mirante II, who has been at the helm for 20 years. "It's impossible to fully appreciate the impact my friend and mentor has had on this company," Mosler said. "He made it a global company."
Mosley emphasized that it was his job now to continue the company's globalization by expanding Cushman & Wakefield further in markets worldwide, specially mentioning the Pacific Rim, though not excluding any potentially profitable part of the world. "The opportunities are still plentiful, and we still believe in expanding our global reach," he noted.
But he also noted that Cushman & Wakefield wasn't going to neglect its domestic offices. "Our focus on 45 key U.S. cities, including Chicago, New York and Los Angeles isn't going to change, either," he said. "Wherever we do business, we'll continue to pursue our consultative and single point-of-contact approaches that are the hallmarks of the company.
Schein asked if Mosler had any plans to take the company public, and the answer was a definite no. "Being private gives you freedom of action you wouldn't have otherwise," he said. "Besides, there's that great feeling of getting up in the morning and knowing we're a debt-free company."
Toward the end of the interview, Mosler mused on how long CEOs ought to stick around. At 46, he has the potential to be in the top job at the real estate giant for a long time.
"I don't want to be CEO forever," he said, when Schein asked to imagine the distant future of Cushman & Wakefield. "I'd say that I'd like to serve 'couple of terms,' because it's important not to hang on too long," Mosler said. "One of the jobs of a CEO, which is sometimes left undone, is to develop and encourage younger talent who will eventually become senior management. Bringing in fresh blood is good for any company, including Cushman & Wakefield."
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