Real Estate Giant Gets Business School’s Help

The UT Dallas School of Management has entered into an agreement with CB Richard Ellis Group Inc., the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm, to provide customized training within the company’s Project Management service line.

The web-based program, known as PJM Foundations, is tailored to the needs of CBRE’s commercial real estate project managers. Training started Jan. 7.

“This program will improve our project managers’ ability to plan, execute and integrate seamlessly with our other service lines,” said Ken Loeber, executive managing director of CBRE’s Project Management Group. “This will enhance CBRE’s ability to solve the complex project challenges of our customers, who are global users of and investors in commercial real estate.”

Loeber expects 1,000 CBRE employees to complete the program in its first year.

The PJM Foundation training is made up of nine self-paced modules that participants complete on an individual basis. Upon successful completion of the training, they will receive a joint CB Richard Ellis-UT Dallas certificate. Faculty member James Szot, assistant director of the school’s Project Management Program, is working with CBRE’s teams to develop and administer the training program.

This is the second major project management training program that the UT Dallas School of Management has been asked to provide during the past year. Assisted last spring and summer by construction contractor CH2M Hill, the school provided training in standardized project management methodology to 145 employees working in Panama on the canal expansion project.

UT Dallas Project Management Program Director Jim Joiner said he welcomes the opportunity to work with CBRE.

“They are a global company that recognizes the importance of making ongoing investments in their people. This program will further enhance their ability to apply the principles of sound project management to projects that span borders, cultures and asset types. PJM Foundations delivers training and education in these critical areas, using online technologies that accommodate the needs of their employees around the globe. It’s a great partnership,” Mr. Joiner said.

Dr. David Springate, UT Dallas associate dean for executive education, said the school has long worked to deliver programs like PJM Foundations.

“The fact that we have worked together extensively to develop an important educational offering from one of our strongest areas, project management, and tailored to CBRE’s specialized needs indicates we are achieving our goal of delivering customized professional development using the latest technologies,” Dr. Springate said.

CB Richard Ellis Group, an S&P 500 company based in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm in terms of revenue. It has more than 29,000 employees and 300 offices around the world.