CHICAGO – (February 16, 2016) – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® has expanded its executive team with the addition of Barbara Wichman as vice president, talent development. In this role, Wichman will oversee learning policies and programs and the talent development strategy for Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE), the world’s largest community of high-quality, independent real estate companies.
With a focus on fostering a learning environment resulting in high performance, Wichman’s audience extends from the company’s 100+-person staff to its 525 member brokerages around the world. Programs include a full range of learning opportunities, including online education through LeadingRE Institute, which offers over 250 exclusive courses; in-person meetings like the upcoming Conference Week, which has attracted nearly 2,500 attendees from 25 countries; and robust programs like the MAESTRO™ Leadership Certification.
“In recent years, we have expanded our educational offerings considerably, with the goal of providing superior opportunities that lead the industry and compete with world-class programs from other businesses,” said LeadingRE President/CEO Pam O’Connor. “We wanted to build on this momentum, and Barbara’s energy, expertise and focus on results make her the ideal person to lead the effort, working with the excellent team we have in place.”
With more than 20 years of learning and development experience in a cross-section of industries including telecommunications, consumer goods and retail, Barbara brings a deep understanding of global talent management through the building and implementation of integrated talent systems, change acceleration, succession planning and learning and development.
“I am thrilled to join a company as focused on developing its stakeholders as LeadingRE,” Wichman said, “and I look forward to accelerating our efforts to be a world-class learning organization that produces outstanding customer experiences and significant personal and professional growth opportunities for all of our constituents.”
Wichman is based in the company’s Chicago headquarters and can be reached at bwichman@LeadingRE.com or (312) 447-5929. Learn more about LeadingRE at www.LeadingRE.com.