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Colin Connolly

M. Colin Connolly is president and CEO of Cousins Properties, an office-focused REIT investing primarily in high-growth Sun Belt markets. He joined Cousins in 2011 and progressed from acquisitions and dispositions to chief investment officer and COO before becoming CEO in January 2019.

Updated

Known For

  • Leading Cousins Properties through acquisitions, development and leasing growth as CEO since 2019.
  • Bringing capital-markets and transaction experience from Morgan Stanley and CarrAmerica Realty.
  • Focusing the REIT on high-quality office assets in Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Phoenix, Tampa and other Sun Belt markets.

Career and Focus

Connolly joined Cousins in September 2011 as senior vice president focused on acquisitions and dispositions. He became chief investment officer in 2013, executive vice president and CIO in 2015, and COO in 2016. After serving as president and COO, he became president and CEO in January 2019 and joined the board the following month. This progression gave him responsibility for sourcing investments, portfolio construction and operations before assuming leadership of the company.

Before Cousins, Connolly worked in Morgan Stanley’s real estate investment banking business, first as vice president and then executive director. Earlier, he was in the investments group at CarrAmerica Realty, working on office property acquisitions and dispositions. Cousins is a fully integrated REIT that develops, acquires, leases and manages Class A office buildings in Sun Belt markets. Connolly’s 2026 proxy letter describes the company’s focus on capital allocation, portfolio quality and earnings growth; the proxy confirms his continued position as CEO. He serves on Atlanta civic and business organizations, including the Atlanta Committee for Progress and the Carter Center’s Board of Councilors. Connolly holds a business administration and accounting degree from Washington & Lee and an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School.

Related Pages

  • Investor People Hub
  • National Investor Benchmarks Hub
  • Cousins Properties
  • Office Bifurcation
  • Source: Top 200 Global CRE People and Families

Sources