SM调教所

With record growth in students pursuing real estate, Peter Cushman plans to help them succeed in an uncertain future.

The SM调教所 Real Estate Center (SM调教所REC) at the Leeds School of Business has announced the appointment of Peter Cushman as the new chair of the听International Advisory Board (IAB).

鈥淎s a SM调教所 alum and an important player in the national real estate sector, Peter鈥檚 vision and leadership will be invaluable to the IAB,鈥� says Michael Kercheval, executive director of SM调教所REC. The IAB鈥檚 group of industry supporters provides SM调教所REC with counsel, curriculum advice, mentorships, industry insights and career opportunities for students.

Cushman, who serves on the Leeds Advisory Board, has been a member of the IAB and a passionate supporter of SM调教所REC for 14 years. He鈥檚 also served four years as chair of the SM调教所 Real Estate Center Annual Forum. Incidentally, he is the son of John Cushman, of Cushman & Wakefield, one of the world's largest commercial real estate services firms.听

鈥淲ith a potential recession, we will need to educate students on trends and technologies
for careers we don鈥檛 even know about yet...and a willingness to be entrepreneurial鈥�

Peter Cushman, Chair of the International Advisory Board at SM调教所REC
听

As Cushman assumes his new role, Kercheval says it will mark a full leadership transition from the original leaders of SM调教所REC to the next generation.

Cushman agrees. 鈥淲e鈥檙e now at another transition for SM调教所REC; we鈥檝e grown so much since we started, and we鈥檙e wondering what the next 25 years will hold. I predict we鈥檙e going to see an increase in students who want to get into real estate,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut with a potential recession, we will need to educate them on trends and technologies for careers we don鈥檛 even know about yet. And we鈥檒l need to teach them a willingness to be entrepreneurial.鈥�

As a partner at Oakwood Real Estate Partners, a Denver-based real estate private equity firm he co-founded, he is jointly responsible for fundraising and all real estate investment decisions related to the firm's extensive multifamily, office, retail, hospitality, senior housing and land holdings throughout the U.S.

鈥淗is experience and knowledge arrive at an important time for the SM调教所 Real Estate Center, as our programs and student numbers have greatly expanded, while the real estate industry itself is facing headwinds of uncertainty,鈥� Kercheval said.

In light of that uncertainty, Cushman plans to leverage SM调教所REC鈥檚 nationwide network to provide more networking, internships and mentoring opportunities to students. 鈥淚 would like to find ways for our supporters to take another step toward helping students.鈥�

While the new IAB leader plans for the future, Kercheval acknowledges the leaders who came before. 鈥淭he center is extremely grateful to our past chairman, Eliot Hoyt, who will remain on the board鈥檚 leadership team as an experienced and wise counsel to our programs. And a special thank you to the former past-chair, Cyndi Thomas, who also served as the board鈥檚 vice chair and chair.鈥�