KW's Mark Willis trades CEO role for new leadership position
After 14 months at the helm, Willis is moving into a new C-level role focused on teaching and developing leaders within the company.
Keller Williams is undergoing some significant leadership changes, with Mark Willis stepping away from his position as CEO and president to take on a newly created role at the company.
According to an internal email sent out today by Co-Founder Gary Keller, Willis will now be KW's chief leadership officer, allowing him to focus on teaching and developing leaders within the company.
"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," Keller told employees.
In Keller's email, Willis said it was "the honor of my lifetime" to serve — twice — as CEO for KW.
"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," Willis said.
"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," Willis added.
The new role appears to align with several of the priorities Willis has highlighted over the past several months. He has spoken at length about the importance of training and education, particularly in light of the recent changes in the industry, and in August, discussed KW's "action plan" for 2025, which included providing agents with more tools to ensure their ongoing success.
Significant movement at KW over the past 14 months
Willis' most recent stint as CEO of Keller Williams Realty was his second one, and it was relatively short. He returned to the role of CEO in November 2023 after seven years away from the company. He previously served as KW's president from 2002 to 2005 and CEO from 2005 to 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile.
In March 2024, he re-added the title of president following the departure of Marc King, which coincided with other layoffs at Keller Williams.
Keller said that while they search for a new CEO, Stacie Herron, the company's chief legal and administrative officer, will serve as interim chief operating officer in an expanded role. As vice chairman, John Keller will continue to oversee the leadership team.