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| Pam O’Connor |
After serving as president and CEO of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World since it was founded 21 years ago, Pam O’Connor will retire from her position on March 31.
Under O’Connor’s leadership, LeadingRE has grown as a global organization to include 565 member firms in 65 countries spanning six continents. She also oversaw the formation of a separate corporate relocation company, RELO Direct Inc.; LeadingRE’s luxury marketing program, Luxury Portfolio International; and a successful online learning platform.
“Pam has been the force behind the remarkable growth of our network,” says Joe Horning, chair of LeadingRE’s board of directors and president of Shorewest, REALTORS®, based in Brookfield, Wis. “With incredible passion, talent, and dedication, Pam has spent decades building programs that support the success of independent brokerages. Her influence across the industry is undeniable, and we are immeasurably thankful for her years of leadership.”
O’Connor became the first female executive to lead a major real estate network in 1985 when she headed All Points Relocation Service and RELO. She also co-owned Bryson-O’Connor Public Relations in Atlanta in the early 1980s. She plans to remain active in the real estate industry as a consultant and will join LeadingRE’s board of directors.
“To say it has been an honor to work alongside the leaders of the best real estate companies in the world, as well as our incredibly talented staff, is an understatement,” O’Connor said in a statement. “I am both gratified by what we have achieved together and excited to see what the future holds for LeadingRE and its extraordinary companies and people.”
LeadingRE’s affiliate-to-affiliate referral sales volume has grown to billions of dollars annually during O’Connor time in leadership, with a lead conversion rate of nearly 50 percent. Aside from her achievements at the company, O’Connor is also an honorary lifetime member of the Metropolitan Atlanta Relocation Council, and served on the board of directors and executive committee of Worldwide ERC. She was the sixth person to receive the H. Cris Collie Leadership Award from Worldwide ERC for her lifetime achievements in the relocation sector.
“Having had the privilege to work with Pam for the last 13 years, I have learned a great deal from her about the value of relationships and the importance of staying ahead of trends,” says Paul Boomsma, LeadingRE’s chief operating officer and president and founder of the Luxury Portfolio International division. Boomsma will take over as president and CEO of LeadingRE upon O’Connor’s retirement. “While her day-to-day involvement will certainly be missed, we are so thankful she will continue to play an important role as a member of our board of directors.”
The National Association of REALTORS®’ associate counsel Jessica Edgerton will join LeadingRE as executive vice president of operations, and Stephanie Anton will move from vice president to president of Luxury Portfolio International.
—REALTOR® Magazine
