MILWAUKEE (May 3, 2021) – Colliers | Wisconsin, the state’s largest third-party real estate services firm, is announcing a leadership transition plan that will have Lyle Landowski assuming the role of President and CEO of the firm, effective Jan. 1, 2022.
Current CEO Scott Welsh and President Mike Fardy will maintain an ownership stake in the company and maintain a presence in the local commercial real estate industry, but it will be Landowski, who has been with the company for 15 years, and several other long-time colleagues who will be taking an ownership stake and leading the organization moving forward.
“This is a transition that has really been in process over the past 10 years,” Welsh said. “It started with a strong vision and a belief in the talent of the next generation. This amazing team has been learning the industry and increasing their influence within the company for many years. They have played a key role in the unique culture we have established, and the growth we have achieved. Now is the time to formally let them lead our company through its next phase of growth.”
In addition to Landowski, the new leadership team includes Tom Shepherd (20 years with the company), Dan Wroblewski (16 years), Jessica Voelker (16 years), Mike Wanezek (14 years), and Ryan Frohmader (5 years).
While Welsh and Fardy will step back from their current leadership roles, they will remain engaged with the company providing mentorship to younger staff in addition to assisting with some business activity. Mark Schnoll, who joined the company as a partner in 2004 and played a key role in its growth, will be retiring at the end of 2021.
“This transition marks the third generation of ownership at Inland/Colliers. The members of our leadership team represent a mix of broker / producers and the operations team, which was an important aspect given the size and scope of the organization,” Landowski said. “More importantly, this group is aligned on why we exist and what’s most important to us – to live our culture and values, to serve our people, our clients and our community. This is a very talented yet humble group, and I am extremely grateful to be at the table with them.”
The company traces its roots back to 1971 when Dennis Welsh, Scott’s father, launched his own commercial real estate firm, Inland Co., in Milwaukee. In 1999, Scott, along with his longtime friend and business partner, Mike Fardy, purchased the company from Dennis.
The two built Inland Co., which later became Colliers | Wisconsin, into the state’s largest third-party real estate services company. The growth was fueled in large part by a vision to build a full-service real estate platform that could serve any client need, coupled with a people-first culture that fosters collaboration and synergy across different platforms.
“We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built here at Colliers and excited for the future,” Fardy said. “We’re very confident this next generation of leadership will continue to grow a strong culture, outperform our peer set and have even greater integration in the community.”
Colliers | Wisconsin provides services in commercial real estate brokerage, property management, investment services, real estate development, construction, and facility management services. In addition to its Milwaukee office, it has offices in the Fox Valley and Madison areas.
“We’re bullish on the industry moving forward,” Landowski said. “The real estate market is changing at a rapid pace, due to both economic and technological change. We believe our platform positions us well to leverage these changes into providing exceptional value for our clients. We’ve learned that it’s our culture and our people that differentiate us, so that will continue to be our primary focus.”
