ATLANTA, September 15, 2025 – Cushman & Wakefield announced today that Chris Ahrenkiel has joined the firm as Atlanta Managing Principal.
Ahrenkiel brings more than 20 years of industry and community leadership to Cushman & Wakefield and has played a dynamic role in shaping the city’s skyline. In his new role, Ahrenkiel will lead the firm’s Atlanta operations, which include more than 75 brokers; more than 545 employees overall, including Global Occupier Services, Asset Services, Project Development Services and Valuation & Advisory personnel; and a property management portfolio exceeding 30 million square feet of office, industrial, data center and retail space and nearly 15,000 multifamily units. He will lead recruitment of industry-leading talent to the firm as well.
“Cushman & Wakefield’s history in Atlanta is unmatched in our industry, and playing a leading role in shaping its future is an incredible opportunity,” Ahrenkiel said. “The firm and the Atlanta region are poised for robust growth. We have a strong team in place, with industry leaders in every service line, and we’re only going to get better as we add breadth and depth to our client-services capabilities.”
Added Victoria Malkin, Cushman & Wakefield President, Americas Markets, “Chris is the ideal Managing Principal for Atlanta, and we’re excited to add him to our leadership team. What’s more, he exemplifies our commitment to the market, where Cushman & Wakefield has played an instrumental role for decades. With Chris at the helm, we are best positioned to accelerate the firm’s growth in this dynamic region.”
Ahrenkiel joins Cushman & Wakefield from Selig Enterprises, where he was Executive Vice President. At Selig, he led the firm’s office division and focused much of his efforts on development and leasing, including 1105 West Peachtree, one of the city’s largest mixed-use developments, where he secured both Google’s 500,000-sqaure-foot lease, as well as top 10 Atlanta law firm Smith Gambrell & Russell. Prior to joining Selig, Ahrenkiel served as Atlanta’s Managing Director for Tishman Speyer, overseeing the firm’s regional activities, including the development, leasing and sale of Three Alliance Center in Buckhead, which set Atlanta’s per-square-foot pricing record.
“I’ve had the privilege of working with some iconic real estate companies in Tishman Speyer, Selig and now Cushman & Wakefield,” Ahrenkiel said. “It has been an incredible honor to work so closely with real estate legend Steve Selig, who has taught me more than I’ll ever realize. I’m grateful for his leadership and mentorship.”
Additionally, Ahrenkiel is widely involved in metro Atlanta’s business and civic community. He serves on many impactful boards including Invest Atlanta (Vice Chair), Leadership Atlanta (board chair-elect), ACBR (President), the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Central Atlanta Progress, the Buckhead Coalition, the Committee for a Better Atlanta and the Atlanta Real Estate Career Alliance. He is a founding member and vice chair of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Foundation as well.
Ahrenkiel is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta Class of 2017 and has received numerous community and professional recognitions including Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2024 Corporate Citizen of the Year, ABC’s 40 Under 40 and the Who’s Who in Commercial Real Estate lists, ACBR’s President’s Award and REALTOR of the Year, and is consistently recognized as one of Atlanta’s 500 most powerful leaders by Atlanta Magazine. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia and earned an MBA from Georgia State University.