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After over a year in the position, Mark Willis is stepping down as president and CEO of Keller Williams, according to an internal email sent to employees on Wednesday.
Willis will be transitioning to the role of Chief Leadership Officer, as announced by Keller Williams co-founder Gary Keller in an email obtained by Inman.
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“I have immense gratitude and respect for Mark and his decades of leadership within our organization,” Keller wrote. “Teaching and developing leaders has always been Mark’s true passion, and we are excited to see him take on this new role,” Keller added. “When Mark first rejoined our team, we discussed this role as Mark’s true calling, and I am thrilled to see it come to fruition.”
Stacie Herron, the current Chief Legal and Administrative Officer at Keller Williams, will also act as interim Chief Operating Officer while the company searches for its next CEO, according to Keller.
“As part of this transition, we have reorganized our tasks to ensure a smooth transfer of responsibilities and alignment with our strategic objectives,” Keller stated.
Keller outlined the new structure as follows:
Direct reports to Gary Keller, co-founder and executive chairman:
- Jason Abrams, Head of Industry and Learning
- Cody Gibson, Vice President of KW MAPS Coaching
- Jay Papasan, Vice President of Strategic Content
Direct reports to John Keller, vice chairman:
- Shawn Cauthen, Vice President of Creative Media Content
- Alex Perica, Senior Director of Events
- Micheal Balistreri, Interim Director of Marketing
Direct reports to Stacie Herron, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Legal Officer:
- Bill Soteroff, President of KWW
- Wendi Harrelson, President of KWRI-Owned Regions
- John Clidy, Vice President of Growth
- Jane Devine, Chief of Staff
Willis has a long history with Keller Williams, starting as a team leader in Austin for 11 years from 1991 to 2002 before moving up to president and eventually CEO. After a decade in that role, he left KW in 2015 to focus on thought leadership and philanthropy through Mark Willis Leadership and the Willis Family Foundation.
Willis is departing 14 months after his controversial return as Keller Williams CEO. In January 2022, a rivalry between KW and eXp Realty escalated when eXp tried to recruit Willis, leading KW to file a lawsuit alleging that Willis’ ownership stake in a franchise and two regions allowed access to confidential information that eXp would then be privy to.
The companies settled the case under confidential terms in May 2022 after a brief legal battle. Willis returned as a strategic consultant to Keller Williams in July 2023 and resumed his role as CEO in November 2023.
“Serving as CEO of this incredible organization twice has been the honor of my lifetime,” Willis stated.
“Now, I am looking forward to a new challenge as I transition to a role that Gary and I have been working on for some time. As Chief Leadership Officer, my focus will be on helping our leaders grow and reach their full potential.
“We have much more to accomplish together, and I am excited to be part of that journey going forward, confident in the company’s future direction and continued growth.”
Read Keller’s full email below:
KW Family,
Effective today, Mark Willis is transitioning from serving as CEO and president into the role of Keller Williams’ Chief Leadership Officer. I have nothing but the deepest gratitude and respect for Mark and his decades of leadership within our organization. Teaching and developing leaders has always been Mark’s true passion, and we are excited to have him take the helm of this new position. When Mark first re-joined our team, he and I talked about this role as Mark’s true calling, and I’m energized that this is finally happening.
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“Serving twice as CEO of this incredible organization has been the honor of my lifetime. Now, I am looking forward to a new challenge as I transition to a role that Gary and I have been working on for some time. As Chief Leadership Officer, my focus will be on helping our leaders grow and reach their highest potential.
We have so much more to do together, and I look forward to being a part of that journey moving forward, confident in the company’s future direction and continued growth.”
– Mark Willis, Chief Leadership Officer
——————–
As we look to identify our next CEO, we have asked Stacie Herron, our current Chief Legal and Administrative Officer, to serve as interim Chief Operating Officer. I am confident she will excel in this expanded role. John Keller, in his role as Vice Chairman, will continue to oversee the leadership team. I look forward to working closely with Stacie, John, and the rest of the leadership team as we lead the company through this transition and drive the future of our business.
As part of this transition, we have made adjustments to our task organization to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities and continued alignment with our strategic goals. The new structure is as follows:
Thank you for your trust as we embark on this exciting new chapter. Together, we will build on our strong foundation and ensure a bright future for our market center owners, agents, and the communities we serve.
Please join me in expressing gratitude to Mark for his exceptional leadership and welcoming Stacie to her new role.
Onward…
Gary Keller
Co-Founder and Executive Chairman
Keller Williams Realty
Email Andrea V. Brambila.
