Lindsay Hockey and Oliver Kershaw join Avison Young in Ottawa

Highly regarded professionals become Principals, will grow firm's brand in Kanata tech sector

OTTAWA, June 7, 2016 /CNW/ - Michael Church, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director of the firm's Ottawa office, announced today the strategic hiring of commercial real estate industry leaders Lindsay Hockey and Oliver Kershaw.

Effective immediately, Hockey and Kershaw become Principals of Avison Young with a mandate to grow the firm's brand in the greater National Capital Region and, in particular, the Kanata technology sector. Based in the firm's Ottawa office, they will continue to concentrate on their core specialties of office tenant representation and agency leasing.

Hockey brings 15 years of commercial real estate experience to Avison Young while Kershaw has worked in the industry for 10 years. Prior to joining Avison Young, both Hockey and Kershaw worked as associate vice-presidents with CBRE, where they established a significant market share in the west Ottawa office market.

"We are thrilled to have Lindsay and Oliver joining our team in Ottawa," comments Church. "They are among the next generation of industry leaders in the National Capital Region market and their deep market knowledge will benefit our clients, business partners and company alike. In addition, the energy and profile that they bring to our office will further add to our team of professionals and round out our sales and leasing platform in the Ottawa market."

Adds Martin Dockrill, Avison Young Principal and Managing Director, Ontario region: "Lindsay and Oliver's strong industry presence, personal integrity and highly collaborative nature make them an ideal fit for the Avison Young culture. Their addition to our Ottawa team will enhance our ability to be the leading provider of commercial real estate services in our nation's capital, as well as help us grow the list of technology tenants and companies that Avison Young represents."

Prior to joining CBRE in 2011, Hockey was an associate vice-president with Colliers International from 2002 to 2011. Throughout his career, he has focused on office tenant representation and agency leasing. In addition to serving private corporate clients, he has expanded his volunteer and not-for-profit client base with an increasing focus on the technology sector in Kanata. While with Colliers, Hockey received the firm's Top 6 Under 6 national award. Before entering the commercial real estate industry, he was an award-winning financial representative with TD from 1998 to 2002.

Hockey holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Carleton University in Ottawa. In the community, he is an active volunteer with the Royal Ottawa Hospital Foundation for Mental Health and the Ottawa Hospital Foundation.

Hockey says he and Kershaw could not pass up the opportunity to join Avison Young's client-centric culture and contribute to building the firm in their role as Principals.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to join a fast-paced and growing global real estate organization that derives its team-based culture from collaboration and the sharing of best practices between peers," states Hockey. "This move will allow us to gain operational experience from a Principal perspective while continuing to build and assist in driving the Avison Young brand to be a market leader in Ottawa and the greater National Capital Region."

Kershaw commenced his commercial real estate career with CBRE in 2006. During his career, he has built an extensive track record as a tenant representation specialist, while also assisting landlords, with a focus on the local technology and innovation industries. He is a member of the West Ottawa Board of Trade, board member of The Children's Place, and regularly volunteers his time to the Junior Achievement program with the Ottawa Network for Education. Kershaw holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.

"We're looking forward to serving new and existing clients, particularly those in the technology sector, as part of Avison Young's rapidly growing office sales and leasing platform in Ottawa," says Kershaw. "We're also keen to collaborate with our new colleagues across Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Europe as Avison Young continues to expand its global brand."

Will Roantree also joins Avison Young as an Associate and will work with Hockey and Kershaw before entering law school in fall 2016. Roantree also comes to Avison Young from CBRE in Ottawa, where he was an Associate.

Over the past seven years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 77 offices and from 300 to more than 2,200 real estate professionals in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Europe. 

Avison Young is the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is a collaborative, global firm owned and operated by its principals. Founded in 1978, the company comprises 2,200 real estate professionals in 77 offices, providing value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and multi-family properties.

For further information/comment/photos:

• Sherry Quan, Principal and Global Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: 604.647.5098; cell: 604.726.0959
  
  
• Michael Church, Principal and Managing Director, Ottawa, Avison Young: 613.567.6634
  
  
• Martin Dockrill, Principal and Managing Director, Ontario, Avison Young: 905.283.2333
  
  
• Lindsay Hockey, Principal, Avison Young: 613.696.2766
  
  
• Oliver Kershaw, Principal, Avison Young: 613.696.2762
  
  
• Mark Rose, Chair and CEO, Avison Young: 416.673.4028

www.avisonyoung.com

Avison Young was a winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies program in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 and requalified in 2015 to maintain its status as a Best Managed Gold company

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• Editors/Reporters
Please click on links to view and download photos of Lindsay Hockey and Oliver Kershaw:
http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/LindsayHockey.jpeg
http://www.avisonyoung.com/sites/default/files/content-files/Media_Room/Temp/OliverKershaw.jpg

SOURCE Avison Young Commercial Real Estate (BC)

Media Relations: Sherry Quan, 604.647.5098 or 604.726.0959, [email protected]