Above, Mark Willis
In another change in leadership at Keller Williams, Gary Keller, co-founder and executive chairman, announced in an email to company employees Jan. 22 that now former CEO and president Mark Willis is immediately transitioning into the role of chief leadership officer. Additionally, Stacie Herron, currently chief legal and administrative officer, will also serve as interim chief operating officer.
Willis had previously assumed the role of president in addition to CEO at Keller Williams last March.
“I have nothing but the deepest gratitude and respect for Mark and his decades of leadership within our organization,” Keller wrote in the email. “Teaching and developing leaders has always been Mark’s true passion, and we are excited to have him take the helm of this new position. When Mark first re-joined our team, he and I talked about this role as Mark’s true calling, and I’m energized that this is finally happening.”
Within the same email, Willis provided his thoughts.
“It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve twice as CEO of this incredible organization,” he wrote. “Now I am excited to take on a new challenge as I transition to a new role that Gary and I have worked together for some time to create. As chief leadership officer, I will focus on helping our leaders grow and achieve their highest potential. We have so much more to do together, and I look forward to being a part of that journey moving forward, confident in the company’s future direction and continued growth.”
John Keller will continue to oversee the leadership team, noted Gary Keller.
“I look forward to working closely with Stacie, John and the rest of the leadership team as we lead the company through this transition and drive the future of our business,” he said.
Willis, who was named CEO in 2023, has had his share of upheaval, having previously served as CEO of Keller Williams for a 10-year period between 2005 and 2015. He subsequently sought to join rival mega-brokerage eXp, which was founded by former Keller Williams’ agents.Keller Williams sued to prevent Willis from taking that position, claiming he would “inevitably” disclose confidential information about the company to the rival. That dispute was seemingly settled, with Willis rejoining Keller Williams first as a “strategic consultant” before assuming his old CEO duties.
