JLL names Jason Ovadia to lead U.S. Industrial Agency Leasing business

CHICAGO, July 1, 2026 - JLL, a leading global commercial real estate services firm, today announced key leadership changes as part of a planned transition within its U.S. Industrial Leasing Advisory business. Jason Ovadia has been appointed Head of Industrial Agency Leasing and Craig Meyer will transition to Executive Chairman, Leasing Advisory. This transition is effective July 1.

"These appointments position our industrial business for continued growth and innovation," said Karen Brennan, CEO, Leasing Advisory for JLL. "Jason's proven leadership, strategic acumen, strong client relationships, and technology-forward approach will drive the evolution of our industrial agency business, while Craig's transition to Executive Chairman allows us to leverage his unparalleled market relationships and industry expertise."

As Executive Chairman, Meyer will focus on building relationships with clients, supporting pursuits across the platform, targeted broker recruitment, and ensuring global alignment to JLL's industrial strategy. He will report to Karen Brennan.

Meyer founded JLL's Industrial Practice in 2006, setting the groundwork for growth across service lines including leasing, sales, and property management. As President of Industrial for the Americas, he led extraordinary expansion, growing JLL's U.S. Industrial Practice from a team of three industrial brokers to over 500, covering 50 markets nationwide. Under his leadership, JLL Industrial achieved market-leading positions in the U.S. in both tenant representation and agency leasing, while becoming the top provider to several institutional industrial owners. As Chair of JLL's Global Industrial Board, he has helped shape strategy across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC.

"I'm incredibly proud of the world-class industrial platform we've built and the talented team that drives it every day," said Meyer. "I look forward to transitioning to a role where I can dedicate more time to clients, help our people win, and support Jason as he leads the next phase of growth for our industrial agency business. Jason's deep market knowledge, client relationships, collaborative approach, and track record of building high-performing teams make him uniquely qualified to lead our industrial agency business moving forward."

As Head of Industrial Agency Leasing, Ovadia will oversee the industrial agency leasing business in the U.S., focusing on overall direction and alignment with JLL's strategy. His priorities will include top-line revenue growth, recruitment, client coverage with a strong emphasis on institutional relationships, and advancing the firm's technology investments and roadmap. Ovadia will continue to remain an active industrial broker, representing some of the firm's largest clients.

Ovadia currently serves as the Lead of JLL's Northern California Industrial team. He brings over 25 years of commercial real estate experience. Since joining JLL in 2008, Ovadia has been involved in over $10 billion in transactions, completing more than 120 million square feet of industrial leasing and sales.

"I'm humbled and honored to lead our industrial agency leasing business and build on Craig's tremendous success," said Ovadia. "With JLL's exceptional leadership and people, advanced technology platform, and data analytics capabilities, we're focused on driving top-line growth, deepening relationships with our top institutional clients, and delivering insights that drive smarter real estate decisions and outstanding results."

Meyer and Ovadia will work together to ensure a seamless transition while continuing to deliver exceptional outcomes for JLL's industrial leasing clients across the U.S.