Our "Three Questions" employee spotlight series highlights the diverse and talented team members who contribute every day to Savills success. Through three questions, get to know professionals working across business functions, including recently hired and promoted executives, rising stars of the firm, and members of Savills Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). The series provides a glimpse into the unique backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and accomplishments of these individuals, while also showcasing the value they bring to our company. In “Three Questions,” we celebrate the diversity and excellence that defines Savills and our people.

In our July “Three Questions” spotlight, we sat down with Cally Miltenberger, who recently joined Savills as Co-President, Texas Region. A fifth-generation Texan with over two decades in commercial real estate, Cally shares how her home state’s entrepreneurial, hard-working, and fiercely loyal identity aligns with Savills unique culture and diversified platform. Cally is enthusiastic about the firm’s strategic plan for growth in Texas, where her focus, in partnership with Co-President Mark O’Donnell, includes recruiting top regional talent, expanding into new cities, and leveraging the platform to ensure client success and win new business on a bigger scale.


Q. You have deep roots in the Lone Star State, both personally and professionally. As a fifth-generation Texan with 20+ years in commercial property, how will you leverage market knowledge and strong connections in your new role?

CM: I am an avid traveler and have fallen in love with many cities and countries, but nothing compares to coming home to Texas. I was raised in Plano, a suburb north of Dallas, and can attest that everything is bigger in Texas. (My high school graduating class had 1,709 people!) Our family traditions are exactly what you would expect: hunting and fishing, eating BBQ, two-stepping, and being a hopeless romantic of the Dallas Cowboys. Although Texans are remarkably diverse in many ways – even our cities have their own identities – the common thread is our people: we are friendly, independent, entrepreneurial, hard-working and fiercely loyal to our state.

There are books that have been written about the history of commercial real estate in Dallas. We have been the epicenter of major industry mergers (CB Richard Ellis & Trammell Crow; JLL & The Staubach Company). DFW was built by big personalities with big ideas, which now attracts nearly 300 new residents every day. 

We are rich in real estate talent around the State, but the competition is fierce, and we tend to stay loyal to those that helped us get into the business. So how does Savills recruit the best in Texas? For starters, by playing the culture and platform cards. Texas brokers put a strong emphasis on being part of companies whose foundations are rooted in a friendly and entrepreneurial culture and provide them with the platform to be successful. If we can prove they can be even more successful here and enjoy the office dynamics again, we will be the place everyone wants to be.

Even though us Texans like to believe we are the center of the universe, our clients operate in a global world with complex KPIs and mandates. I am hoping to bring my expertise and connections from time at global companies (EY, CBRE, and Link Logistics) to ensure our Texas teams leverage our Savills platform resources to retain clients and win on a bigger scale.

Q. Your father was an accomplished real estate professional. What were conversations around the dinner table like for you growing up? When do you recall catching the real estate bug and what lessons or pieces of advice did your father give you as you paved your own path? 

CM: Conversations about commercial real estate happened on an almost daily basis growing up, so, naturally, I gravitated towards the industry. Fast forward a few years to 2007, and my father recommended that I consider joining him within Staubach’s newly-formed Capital Markets Group. He was part of the group’s Project Management team and to be honest, I was a little hesitant to join, because I really wanted to prove that I didn’t need my dad’s help to be successful – a ridiculous perspective looking back at it now, because who wouldn’t want to have their dad as their professional mentor? 

Recently, my dad and I were invited to a CRE podcast to discuss our relationship and working in the same industry. I grew up remembering his work ethic – he left by 7 am every day in a suit with a big coffee mug. He had a bunch of dirty hard hats in the back of his truck. My dad is a man of conviction and principles, and he was respected and well-liked by everyone he worked with. He found success by propping others up and doing the right thing for the client, even if it meant less money.

I have turned to my dad for advice as my career has advanced. As you move up, heightened visibility leaves little room for error. Besides trying to emulate what I saw growing up, he reminds me to get ahead by: 1) putting others first, 2) using less words (I tend to overexplain), and 3) getting better at my golf game. He retired last year and is annoyed I don’t know my handicap when we go play.

Q. What drew you to Savills? What challenges and opportunities are you looking forward to taking on—for our clients, our people, our brand?

CM: Two of our Vice Chairmen in Dallas, Clay Vaughn and Jihane Boury, threw my name in the hat for this position. We worked well together during our time at CBRE. Those who know Clay and Jihane, know they can be persuasive. I agreed to take an initial meeting, and it snowballed from there. 

First and foremost, I was impressed by the US leadership and their thoughtful, strategic growth strategy. Second, I had a natural connection with my now partner, Mark O’Donnell, who I’ll be working closely with across Texas. Finally, our North American leadership team has a clear vision of what needs to happen to scale, diversify and differentiate our offerings – and they are as sharp as anyone I have met in this industry. 

Texas is a key part of the firm’s North American strategic plan and there is an opportunity for Savills to significantly scale its presence. We’re going to emphasize our brand and unique culture to recruit and retain top regional talent across office, industrial and capital markets brokerage, as well as project management; we’re going to thoughtfully expand to new cities; and we’re going to leverage our existing cross-functional synergies, like collaborating with our Global Occupier Services group, to advise clients on multi-market portfolio assignments. 

The opportunity to jump in, play a role in this growth, and give it my best is exhilarating to me. It’s like getting a case study prompt in business school. After my first 60 days in the role, I cannot be more excited to make their vision come to life. We have great people, a unique culture, and a powerful platform – and now we’re going to really take this show on the road.