Key Player in Supporting the Growth of Company’s D&I Programs

As CBRE global director of human resources, Jennifer Ashley oversees human resources operations for 70,000 employees around the world.

At the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, she’s accountable for employee relations, staffing and recruitment, training and professional development, diversity, and compensation and benefits. The company does business in more than 60 countries.

As a woman executive, Ashley says the most important quality a woman leader should have is authenticity. “You have to be comfortable with yourself and genuine with your interactions with others,” she said.

Ashley says her biggest career leap was making the decision to move from academia to the corporate sector. “It’s ok to change your mind, no matter how far down a path you’ve traveled,” she said. “I learned I respond well to challenges and can do anything I set my mind to.”

She has served as senior vice president of human resources, leading CBRE’s human resources operations in the Americas. Previously, she also directed marketing strategy and operations in the United States, Latin America, and Canada, leading marketing and communications professionals across all lines of business in the CBRE services platform.

Ashley’s colleagues describe her as a highly capable leader with a deep understanding of the company and people, who excels at teamwork. Last year, she spearheaded a global effort for integrating 16,000 new employees that joined CBRE through the acquisition of the Global Work Place Solutions business of Johnson Controls. Colleagues say she worked tirelessly ensuring each employee was taken care of and had a full understanding of what the acquisition meant to them and the company.

Ashley has been instrumental in supporting the growth of CBRE’s diversity and inclusion programs to help ensure the company has diverse talent across the organization. CBRE has seen tremendous growth in several groups including CBRE Military, the Hispanic Network Group, and the Women’s Network, as well as adding new groups such as the Rising Professionals Organization.

She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in psychology from Emory University, a Master of Science in psychology from Hunter College, and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan.