Ferguson Partners Finds Chief for Washington Real Estate Trust
August 21, 2013 – Global executive search firm Ferguson Partners Ltd. has placed Paul T. McDermott as president and chief executive officer of Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (WRIT). Mr. McDermott comes to WRIT from The Rockefeller Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd., where he served as SVP and managing director and headed up the domestic acquisitions team for Rockefeller Group Investment Management Corp. "Paul was the top choice from a group of highly qualified candidates," said John P. McDaniel, chairman of the board's CEO search committee. "He possesses the critical leadership attributes we identified as part of our selection process – strong DC real estate experience, substantial experience in a variety of disciplines and the ability to lead an integrated, diversified public REIT." WRIT is a self-administered, self-managed, equity real estate investment trust investing in income-producing properties in the greater Washington metro region. Together with its sister company, FPL Associates, which provides compensation and management consulting services, the FPL Advisory Group family of companies serves clients across the globe from offices in Boston, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, and Tokyo.