Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson has spent the last 25+ years eating, sleeping and breathing all things commercial real estate. He continues to be a thought leader in the social media world on Twitter (@bjohn9) and on LinkedIn. Ben's rock-solid foundation is in the journalism realm, where he has extensive editorial and publishing experience. He spent nearly a decade leading two highly respected industry trade publications, National Real Estate Investor and Shopping Center World magazines. More recently he was a Director with American Airlines Publishing, where he led the creation and production of a dozen magazines and websites in the financial services, tourism and airline industries. He also launched a new ground-breaking publication for independent financial advisors called Real Assets Adviser. Prior to his stint in the airline biz, Ben was the Publishing Director at CoStar Group, Inc., a leading provider of information services, where he managed the company's news division for 65 major markets and 100,000+ subscribers across the United States. Unlike many professional journalists, Ben has real-world, inside-the-industry experience. He was Vice President with Phoenix-based Cole Real Estate Investments, and also Director of Real Estate Marketing for Atlanta-based Wells Real Estate Funds, where he was responsible for all media relations and marketing programs for the company's $6 billion national portfolio of more than 130 buildings. He also helped drive strategies for acquisitions, dispositions, asset management, tenant services and new business development. (Ask him about the Aon Center purchase in Chicago sometime.) Holding a Bachelor of Journalism from the "world's greatest J-School," the University of Missouri-Columbia, is one of Ben's proudest achievements. He also holds an Associate of Arts from Missouri Southern State University. Ben is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).