The 30-Minute Interview
John D. Lyons
By VIVIAN MARINO
Published: July 3, 2012


Mr. Lyons, 54, is the president and chief executive of Savills L.L.C., the North American division of Savills, a publicly traded real estate services company in London.

Savills L.L.C., which has its headquarters in New York, was formed in 2007 after Savills purchased Granite Partners, a boutique investment banking firm that Mr. Lyons founded 10 years earlier.

Interview conducted and condensed by

VIVIAN MARINO

Q. What services does Savills L.L.C. provide?

A. Our clients tend to look at every transaction and we guide them through those. It could be finding the appropriate property to acquire, helping them make decisions as to what to keep or sell and when to do it, advising on whether to put additional financing or debt on the property, advising on whether to restructure or bring in a new capital partner. But at the end of the day we are a transaction-oriented company.