"Cushman & Wakefield is a great firm with tremendously talented people, a great tradition and a terrific future," Mosler says. I am proud to say that as a result of our efforts to seamlessly transition the leadership at C&W we are in a position to hit the ground running in the continuing servicing of our clients worldwide."

A beefed-up national retail presence and a global push that is farther flung than C&W's current international platform are all planks in the platform of the new chief executive. "I will move Cushman & Wakefield ahead aggressively to grow our business and to take advantage of the business opportunities that fit within our strategic plan," Mosler says.

Mosler, who joined the firm in 1997, served for four years as president of US operations. Prior that he was an executive vice president. He is the firm's sixth CEO in its 87-year history.