WASHINGTON, DC-Brian Dawson has been tapped to lead Cushman & Wakefield’s Washington, DC-area operations. His promotion follows a number of changes to the company’s senior leadership in recent months, starting with the appointment of his predecessor--William Magner--to president of Cushman & Wakefield’s East Region. Magner was also regional leader of the company’s Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Areas. Two years ago Magner was tapped to head the DC office after James M. Underhill, then head of the DC office, was named CEO of the Americas in November 2010. Another recent hire, within the last week, is Sherry Cushman (no relation to C of C&W), who joined from CBRE to head C&W’s law practice.

Dawson had also been appointed head of the company’s Maryland office in March of 2011. He joined Cushman & Wakefield in 2007 as a senior director and partner in the firm’s Institutional Investment Sales group. As head of the area’s three offices, he tells GlobeSt.com that his focus will be to coordinate the operations as one voice.

“Clients view this region as one, and we need to talk to clients with one voice," he says, "even as brokers are trained to operate in geographic areas. My challenges will be to drive investor business, drive our occupancy business and coordinate continued growth.”