Real estate consultancy Cushman & Wakefield announces the appointment of new international partners and introduces a new management structure in the Czech Republic, establishing Occupier and Investor Services.
The new international partners are Jiří Kristek, Head of Industrial and Retail Warehousing and newly appointed Head of Occupier Services; Michal Soták, Head of Capital Markets and newly appointed Head of Investor Services; and Richard Hogg, Head of Valuation & Advisory for CEE. Additionally, Petr Neděla, Head of Industrial Project Management becomes a Partner. These appointments reflect their long-term contributions, professional leadership, and key roles in the development of the firm's core services.
The company also introduces a new management structure in the Czech Republic, effective from 1 October 2025. The change brings clearly defined leadership for two newly established divisions – Occupier and Investor Services – in response to market developments. Jiří Kristek will lead Occupier Services division, which consolidates services focused on Industrial, Office, and Retail, while Michal Soták will head Investor Services, overseeing Capital Markets, Hotels & Alternatives, and Asset Services.
Jonathan Hallett, Head of CEE & Nordics: “Our new structure reflects the changing market, and the needs of our clients. The appointment of Jiří, Michal, and Richard as International Partners, as well as Petr as Partner, is a recognition of their exceptional contributions and an important step in strengthening our market position. I believe this will enable us to better respond to our clients’ needs."
Jiří Kristek is Head of Industrial and Retail Warehousing at Cushman & Wakefield with over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate. In the Czech Republic, he leads a team providing advisory services in industrial and logistics, including retail parks. He founded the specialized retail park team, the first of its kind in the Czech Republic.
As of October 2025, Jiří also serves as Head of the newly established Occupier Services. His goal is to further develop Cushman & Wakefield’s advisory activities in industrial, office, and retail.
Throughout his career, Jiří has been involved in numerous significant projects, including leasing of retail and industrial space totaling approximately 750,000 m² and land sales exceeding 3.5 million m².
In his free time, Jiří enjoys tending to his vineyard, listening to music, swimming, and playing golf. He also studied at the international wine school Wine & Spirit Education Trust – Diploma Study (WSET) at the Weinakademie in Rust, Austria, earning the titles DipWSET and Weinakademiker.
Michal Soták has over 17 years of experience in commercial real estate, particularly in capital markets, investment analysis, fund management, banking finance, development, asset management, and leasing. He has led the investment team at the Prague office since 2017 and provides strategic advisory to key clients at both national and regional levels.
Michal now assumes responsibility for investor services in the Czech Republic. This role includes leading capital markets, hotel and alternatives, and asset services.
During his career, he has successfully completed more than 80 transactions across various property types – from shopping centres, office buildings, and retail portfolios to residential projects, industrial sites, and hotels. Under his leadership, the investment team has consistently held a leading position in the local market. His work has earned numerous awards, including Best Investment Team of the Year at ThePrime Real Estate Awards in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and previously CIJ Awards in 2017 and 2018.
Among his most notable transactions are the sale of Contera’s industrial portfolio to Blackstone, the sale of shopping centers Arkády Pankrác, Palác Flora, and Palác Pardubice, the sale of more than 30 retail projects for Tesco, the sale of a portfolio of 60 Trei supermarkets, the sale of office buildings Rustonka and Waltrovka, as well as the Louis Vuitton building in central Prague, and securing capital for development projects Logport Jinočany and Hagibor Delta.
Richard Hogg leads the Valuation & Advisory team at Cushman & Wakefield for the Central and Eastern Europe region. He has been active in the real estate market in this region since 1999, and since 2007 he has been heading the Valuation & Advisory team in the Czech Republic. He holds professional certifications from RICS and HypZert. In recent years, he has primarily focused on managing and coordinating key valuation assignments across the CEE region.
Richard likes to spend his spare time with his family, cycling, fishing, and learning how to sail.
Petr Neděla is Head of Industrial Project Management team. He has been with Cushman & Wakefield’s Prague office since 2016 but has worked in project management and development since 1994. He has extensive experience in construction, development, and facility management, gained through leadership roles in major international companies.
Petr possesses deep knowledge of the entire development process – from urban planning and economic analysis to budget preparation and leading architectural and construction teams. At Cushman & Wakefield, he leads key projects, particularly in manufacturing and logistics facilities, including office buildings, and provides advisory services to major clients.
In his free time, he enjoys outdoor sports, sailing, and has a strong interest in historiography.
