Yesterday marked the official merger of DTZ and Cassidy Turley under the DTZ brand (owned by TPG Capital, PAG Asia Capital and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan). Cassidy Turley CEO Joe Stettinius, now Chief Executive of the Americas for DTZ, gave us the details.

The new company, with $2.9B in annual revenues and more than 28,000 employees globally, will have the benefit of DTZ’s global platform and Cassidy Turley’s scale in the US, Joe tells us. There will be a big focus on building out services for investors and occupiers around the country via strategic infill acquisitions and recruiting, as well as abroad in Europe and Asia (DTZ has a particularly strong presence in China and the UK), he says.

A big merger also includes company cultures, less of a tall order given each firm’s focus on entrepreneurial and nimble client service. Technology is a huge help: Getting everyone on the same platforms, from email to databases, on Day 1 (yesterday) wouldn’t have been possible a few years ago, Joe says. With its global HQ in Chicago and Americas HQ in DC, DTZ plans to merge offices in each market where both organizations have offices around the country as quickly as possible (by summer), and in most of those markets DTZ people will move into the Cassidy Turley office. Now let’s learn more about Joe, who's based in DC:

Photo caption: Joe as “celebrity bartender” at a DC CREW event last year.
Job title: Chief Executive Americas.
What that means: Knitting together our strengths and resources globally to create a compelling solution for both clients and employees going forward.
What your company does: Global commercial real estate services provider.
Memorable project: The whole evolution of Cassidy Turley, from being a series of local boutiques to becoming a leading, full-service national company to this merger with DTZ. That’s been the focus of my career over the last eight years, and the process taught me the importance of a common vision and strategy. What you’re trying to do is much more important than how you’re trying to do it.
Hometown: Richmond, VA.
First job: Exercising racehorses. Lesson learned – they’re only running off when you’re trying to stop them.
First commercial real estate job: I worked as a purchasing agent on the renovation of the Ritz-Carlton in DC.
Job in another life: Farmer. You get the benefit of the seasons and it seems like a great lifestyle.
Dream dinner party (guests can be alive or dead): George Washington, Custer (I’d love to know what he was thinking), Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan.
Daily habit: Making a cup of coffee at home in the morning is one of my great rituals of the day. Cream, no sugar.
Favorite song of the moment: “Home” by Phillip Phillips.
Favorite book: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.
Favorite movies: Gran Torino, Braveheart.
Favorite vacation spot: Jackson Hole, WY, for fishing, riding and hiking.
Favorite restaurants: Rasika in DC (order the Palak Chaat, a crispy spinach dish) and Nobu (let the waiter order).
Bucket list: Go to Alaska, the North Pole and diving with great white sharks.
Family facts: Married with a 15-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son.
Hobbies: Riding and fishing, especially for false albacore.
Startling fact: I’m an identical twin and so is my father. My twin brother is in the data center business. (And no, they didn’t pull any Parent Trap antics as kids.)