CBRE announced that Elizabeth Birch has joined its Advisory & Transaction Services | Occupier team as a vice president in its Washington, D.C. office. Ms. Birch brings an expansive set of corporate, legal, nonprofit and commercial real estate experience to CBRE and will focus on helping associations, nonprofits and law firms, among other clients, with real their real estate strategies.

Ms. Birch joins CBRE following more than a decade as CEO of the Elizabeth Birch Company, where she has provided corporate and nonprofit guidance to Fortune 500 and major philanthropic and non-for-profit organizations. A widely-recognized advocate, speaker and consultant, Birch has advised the Clinton and Obama Administrations, members of Congress, and the Pentagon. In recent years, she has served as a consultant to Peris Companies, a Greater Washington commercial interiors construction firm. While at Peris, she earned her general contractor license and has helped deliver exceptional results to a wide variety of clients. This exposure to the world of commercial construction has also provided invaluable insight into the importance of managing any real estate project from inception to buildout.

“Elizabeth brings an extraordinary and unusual blend of experience in real estate, as well as at the highest levels in corporate and nonprofit organizations, giving her unique insight into the challenges that occupiers face and the solutions they need,” said Mike Davis, managing director of CBRE’s occupier practice in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore region.

Early in her career Ms. Birch served as chief litigation and HR counsel at Apple Computer, Inc. She was also General Counsel at Claris Corporation, Apple’s software subsidiary. (She remains licensed to practice law in both California and the District of Columbia.) In 1995, Ms. Birch came to Washington DC to serve as President and Executive Director of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT advocacy organization. Over the course of a decade, she brought the organization through a tremendous period of visibility and growth, raising the strength of HRC both on Capitol Hill and throughout the nation. She and her team became known for the implementation of innovative techniques in management, communications, marketing, media, advocacy and development to deliver transformational and inspiring growth that continues today.

While at HRC, Elizabeth led the effort to establish the iconic Human Rights Campaign headquarters building in Washington, D.C. It was that experience that taught her the true power of excellent real estate planning and execution as a central force in furthering an organization’s vision.

“Next to talent, I believe that real estate planning and execution has the most profound effect on an organization’s ability to accomplish its vision and mission,” said Ms. Birch. “I have had a long corporate, legal and nonprofit career and I now look forward to bring the power of the CBRE platform to every stage of a client’s real estate journey. I look forward to working with clients on smart, integrated approaches to delivering workplaces that will ignite passion, productivity and retention.”

Birch holds a law degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law and a BA in Political Science and Oceanography from the University of Hawaii. She also received an honorary PhD from the University of Hawaii in Humanities as recognition for her work in civil and human rights. In her work advancing human rights, diversity and inclusion, Elizabeth has achieved high visibility, with appearances on programs such as Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Good Morning America, the Today Show, 20/20, This Week, Face the Nation, Nightline, Crossfire, the Larry King Show, the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and profiles in publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post and Philadelphia Inquirer.

About CBRE Group, Inc.

CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2016 revenue). The company has more than 75,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate investors and occupiers through approximately 450 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CBRE offers a broad range of integrated services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.