The right experience. The right perspective.

Ken Sandstad was a long-time senior leader in what today is the largest firm worldwide in the commercial real estate services business, CBRE. Ken was a member of CBRE’s executive or senior operating committee from 1985 until 1998.

Ken opened the CBRE office in Minneapolis in 1974. He was the first employee of the firm in the Midwest or Northeast. In 1979, he was promoted to lead that office; five years later, he was asked to move to Texas to run the company’s Dallas office.  After several years in Dallas, Ken was asked to head all operations in the Central U.S. and ultimately had responsibility for the Northeastern half of the U.S.

In addition to these line responsibilities, Ken was one of the early members of the board of CB Canada, as well as a founding member of the board of CB de Mexico.  He was also an innovator within the firm, leading their work with the Resolution Trust Corporation, spearheading the development of new specializations within the brokerage group, and leading in the creation of an office and industrial tenant representation practice.

He left the firm in 1998, joining Transwestern as the national leader responsible for the commercial real estate firm’s push into user services. After leaving Transwestern in May of 2001, Ken formed The Sandstad Group to leverage the expertise gained from his time spent in the trenches.

Mr. Sandstad’s experience includes:

• A broad spectrum of clients:
  • From global firms with billions in revenue to regional entrepreneurial ventures with less than $10 million in revenue.
  • 11 of the top 15 service firms and networks based in the United States.
• Executive engagement: Virtually all engagements are arranged with or for the client’s CEO, a member of the client firm’s board of directors, or a senior operating officer.
• Significant ownership transition advisory work:
  • Assisted firms (now approaching 20 in number) in arranging the disposition/sale or transition of ownership within the firm.
  • Helped arrange long-term operating partnerships between service firms.
• High-level focus:
  • Assessed the operating platforms, personnel and strategies of very successful multi-market development and investment firms.
  • Participated in search committees for replacing CEO or C-suite level leadership positions within client firms.
  • Completed an in-depth analysis of one-half of a global service line platform for a leading service firm.
  • Assisted prominent development and construction firms in improving business pursuit strategies.