Friend, CEO of real estate news service Bisnow, dies at 33

Will Friend, the CEO of commercial real estate news service Bisnow, died Sunday at the age of 33 after being struck by lightning.

Ethan Rothstein and Mark F. Bonner of Bisnow write, “Friend was the CEO of the company for the last seven years, overseeing its growth to include 650 annual digital and live events in 50 international territories, 11 million news readers and more than 250 employees across the U.S., Canada, the UK and Ireland. During his tenure, Friend transformed the company from a local events business into a multichannel data, events, news and intelligence platform for the multitrillion-dollar commercial real estate market.

“He guided Bisnow through the pandemic, which severely disrupted the live events side of the business, and helped inspire the company’s entrepreneurial spirit that allowed it to thrive at its greatest moment of uncertainty.

“‘What made Will special was his innate ability to inspire and motivate people — to raise people higher than they thought possible,’ Bisnow Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer Gregg Mayer said in a statement. ‘That is the culture he fostered at Bisnow and, ultimately, that will be his lasting legacy.'”

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