The new boss for CBRE’s Philadelphia operations has deep roots in Pennsylvania, but not on this side of the state.
Mamadou Baldé, senior managing director and market leader for greater Philadelphia, is moving from the Pittsburgh area this weekend. His wife and three young children will follow at the end of the year.
“We’re trying to get them to learn how to say Philadelphia,” Baldé said of the kids, aged 5, 3 and 1.
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He grew up in the leafy Pittsburgh suburb of Moon Township and has spent most of his career nearby.
After earning a law degree from Liberty University and spending a few years in the legal world, Baldé had tenures at Colliers’ Pittsburgh office brokerage and Action Housing Inc., a nonprofit developer.
He became CBRE’s market leader for Pittsburgh and West Virginia in January 2022, which entailed leading a team that now has 180 people.
While Baldé said his experience in Pittsburgh has prepared him well for his new position, the Philly team is more than twice as large, with more than 400 employees, including 130 brokers.
He said he is excited to learn about Philly commercial real estate, which will involve lots of driving around to get familiar with the area.
“It’s a large market,” he said. “Very diverse, which is phenomenal from a fundamentals perspective.”
Baldé has family ties to South Jersey, where he has been visiting his mother and sister in Sicklerville for more than a decade.
His move to Philly follows former Market Leader Valerija Beares’ promotion to chief operating officer for U.S. and Canada advisory services.
“Rija’s done a phenomenal job leading the market,” Baldé said. “My goal is really to continue that growth and excellence.”
That will begin with a “look, listen, learn, lead kind of strategy” where he won’t enact changes without getting the full picture, he said.
While work is a big part of Baldé’s life, he is also a family man with a love for sports and a focus on health.
As a Type 1 diabetic, he makes an effort to get into the gym before work on a regular basis. Baldé also plays golf and squash, a sport he said has a particularly strong following in Philly.
His 5-year-old is now old enough to get into sports himself, which means youth baseball and soccer have dominated the family’s weekends lately.
“We’re watching him and cheering him on,” Baldé said.
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