Boston’s former economic development chief is making the transition from City Hall to the Financial District.

Brokerage Cushman & Wakefield said it’s named John Barros as its new managing principal in Boston, two months after his elimination in the September mayoral preliminary election.

Barros will lead Cushman & Wakefield’s New England division, replacing Carolyn Sidor who led the local team for more than three years. Sidor is transitioning to senior managing director.

“John is a dynamic leader who has deep roots within the Boston community,” Roberta Liss, president of the East Region at Cushman & Wakefield, said in a statement. “He possesses a unique ability to lead individuals with diverse backgrounds and perspectives at all levels to drive toward common goals.” 

Former Mayor Marty Walsh named Barros, a former executive director for nonprofit Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, as his economic development chief after taking office in 2014.

As a candidate to succeed Walsh this year, Barros emphasized the need for more housing production in Boston and, during the Walsh administration, was a driving force behind a wide-ranging study of city contracting practices that showed very few public dollars were going towards women- and minority-owned companies. 

Barros is the second head of a major commercial brokerage in Boston with a recent background in municipal government.

JLL named James Tierney, a former chief of staff at the former Boston Redevelopment Agency, as its New England market director in 2014.

Cushman & Wakefield Picks Barros to Lead Boston Team

by Steve Adams time to read: 1 min
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