JLL appoints Travis McCready new Head of Industries, Leasing Advisory

CHICAGO, Feb. 27, 2025 – JLL announced today that it has appointed Travis McCready as the Head of Industries, Leasing Advisory. In this new role, he now oversees brokerage and advisory for JLL’s key global industry verticals, including Aerospace and Defense, Data Centers, Energy, Financial Services, Healthcare, Higher Education, Life Sciences and Technology.

McCready has amassed more than 25 years of experience leading public, private and non-profit organizations. His expertise in science and technology-based real estate and innovation infrastructure supports pharmaceutical and biotech clients in their mission to deliver groundbreaking medicines and therapies to patients around the world. Based in Boston, he joined JLL in 2020 as Head of Life Sciences, Americas Markets. He also chairs JLL’s Global Life Sciences Advisory Board and is a member of the firm’s Innovation Districts Practice that provides strategic advisory services across the world.

“Travis is a globally recognized leader, deeply respected for his ability to solve complex client issues with innovative solutions,” said Andy Poppink, JLL CEO, Leasing Advisory. “His strategic leadership of our Life Sciences practice over the past four years helped guide clients through the unprecedented pandemic era. In this expanded role, Travis will bolster our robust U.S. Industries practice and will convene experts around the world to benefit global clients across numerous industries.”

“The success of our global economy is driven by core industry verticals whose business models depend on optimal, specialized real estate assets and strategies,” McCready said. “These industries, especially those based on science and technology, are rapidly evolving, and their real estate needs must evolve as quickly. By identifying and understanding the nuances of each sector, we can provide even greater value to our clients through dynamic location decisions, solving space challenges, maximizing efficiencies and ensuring real estate portfolios are fit for purpose.”

Outside of JLL, he is active in the global innovation community, serving as board director of global business accelerator MassChallenge; global life sciences business enabler Nucleate; Canadian life sciences ecosystem builder adMare BioInnovations and Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. He also serves in advisory capacities at numerous R1 research universities, including Johns Hopkins University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, University of Massachusetts and the University of Toronto.

McCready succeeds Executive Managing Director David Houck, who has spent more than 30 years in a variety of leadership roles at JLL and is stepping back from day-to-day management responsibilities to focus on other initiatives within the company.

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