Also: Cushman & Wakefield’s Michelle MacKay on the advantages of board-to-CEO leaders
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Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Cushman & Wakefield’s Michelle MacKay on the advantages of board-to-CEO leaders


In today’s CEO Daily: Diane Brady talks to Cushman & Wakefield’s Michelle MacKay.
The big story: Trump may or may not be trying to get a ceasefire in Iran.
The markets: Resting easy.
Analyst notes from Convera on the weakening dollar,  Macquarie on Iran and the oil market, and Oxford Economics on business sentiment
Plus: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.


Good morning. Cushman & Wakefield’s Michelle MacKay, Larry Culp of GE, Richard Dickson of The Gap, and Carol Tomé of UPS all have something in common: They were appointed CEO after serving on the boards of companies they now run. Such board-to-CEO transitions have become more common for multiple reasons, from the complexity of the business landscape to a desire for boards to instil seasoned leaders they know and trust. For MacKay, serving on three public boards after retirement stoked her ambitions to take on a CEO role.

“Those three years that I spent in board seats, with a little more time for myself, were probably the most important years of my career journey, which is ironic, because I wasn’t working full time,” MacKay told Fortune in this week’s Leadership Next podcast. “I really hadn’t stepped back in a number of years and reconsidered my own path.”

Her background in finance and real estate were appealing at a time of declining revenues. When Cushman’s then-CEO John Forrester asked MacKay if she’d consider becoming CFO of the company, she said no, instead agreeing to become COO in 2020 with a clear path to becoming CEO in July of 2023. “It was a big challenge with a big brand and I had somebody who backed me from the onset. And I thought, ‘You know what? We got one version here, one life. I’m just going to go for it.’”

While tariffs, geopolitics and other issues continue to weigh on the global outlook for commercial real estate services, MacKay has led the firm to growth again. Board service gave her a holistic view of not only the company but also her career. With CEO turnover near record highs for much of the past year, more leaders may find a period of pause on boards inspires them to return to corporate leadership with fresh eyes and purpose. Said MacKay: “Can one be too engaged? I don’t think so.” You can listen to the podcast here on Apple or Spotify. More news below.

Contact CEO Daily via Diane Brady at diane.brady@fortune.com

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From the analysts

Convera on the weakening dollar: “Surging oil prices—up as much as 12% on Friday amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East—have further exposed the dollar’s fading safe-haven appeal. A clear divergence is taking shape: oil rallies, yet the dollar fails to follow. This underscores how sentiment toward the US economy is acting as a stronger drag than what has historically been a dollar-positive force—higher oil prices, especially in periods of geopolitical risk. The result? Renewed selling pressure as confidence in US assets continues to erode,” per Antonio Ruggiero.
Macquarie on Iran and the oil market: “We expect oil prices to remain volatile with an upward trend for the next few weeks as both Iran and Israel maintain their military intensity. Regardless of military or diplomatic progress, we expect Brent to rally towards the low $80 level before hitting a plateau as the perceived risk of actual oil supply disruption becomes largely discounted. … the next price move will, in our view, be driven by what happens to Iranian oil export infrastructure. If it is damaged or destroyed, we believe oil will trend towards $100 due to the direct loss of Iranian exports and the risk premium associated with Iran's response,” per Vikas Dwivedi and team.
Oxford Economics on business sentiment: “Businesses have become less pessimistic about the near-term outlook for the world economy, according to our latest Global Risk Survey. The large downgrade in growth expectations in the aftermath of April's 'liberation day' tariff announcements has now partially unwound. Respondents perceive a significant reduction in the probability of a severe deterioration in economic prospects. They see less than a 15% chance of a global recession this year, compared with more than 25% in April,” per Jamie Thompson.


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