Jean Kane

Jean Kane
Chief Executive Officer
Welsh Companies

Jean Kane is a visionary CEO, experienced Board Director and progressive thought leader best known for driving enterprise-wide business transformations that propel shareholder value. She leverages her entrepreneurial spirit, keen financial acumen, and disciplined but empathetic leadership to create innovative strategies and a workplace culture that ignite team engagement and superior performance. Throughout her career Jean has delivered exceptional profit, growth and operating performance in both mature and emerging business. She has extensive experience leading across multiple ownership structures to include joint ventures, public, privately held, and private equity backed companies in all areas of Commercial Real Estate.

Currently, Ms. Kane is CEO of Colliers International-Minneapolis/St. Paul, the Minnesota business unit of Colliers International Group Inc. (Nasdaq:CIGI) (TSX:CIGI) a global $3.5B professional services and investment management firm. In 2017 as CEO of the predecessor company, Jean architected and led all aspects of the sale to Colliers, retaining a minority ownership interest while balancing interests of a founding principal, third party shareholders, private equity interest and lenders. She led the business transformation from a $100M private enterprise to a publicly traded company. Under Jean’s leadership the business is consistently ranked one of Minnesota’s top 3 brokerage and real estate management firms.

Previously, Ms. Kane was CEO of Welsh Companies, a privately held, leading full-service commercial real estate services firm operating throughout Minnesota. In 2012, Jean led a spin-off and recapitalization of the 270-person third-party services firm from the parent company. After closing the transaction, Ms. Kane leveraged her increased ownership to secure woman-owned business WBENC certification. In 2016 the company was recognized with a #1 Best Places to Work Award from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal in the large company category.

Ms. Kane has a long history of private company and non-profit board service. A recognized industry trail blazer, as Board Chair for National NAIOP, a 17,000 member real estate trade association, Ms. Kane led a national strategic initiative to advance diversity, inclusion and equity across the Commercial Real Estate industry. Currently, she serves on the board of Children’s Minnesota Hospital & Clinics and is a member of the Audit and Compliance committee. She also serves on the MN Chamber of Commerce Board and on their Economic Advisory Council, and is a Board Member of The MN Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Ms. Kane is an authentic leader, independent thinker and collaborative relationship builder. Her colleagues value her curious nature, keen financial and business insight, sound judgment and aptitude at zeroing in on critical business drivers to accelerate growth. Jean is skilled at engaging key stakeholders in vibrant discussion around strategic decisions. Her direct and positive style engenders confidence and inspires others to achieve bold goals.