$26.1 billion in annual revenue is the enterprise Paul Morgan now runs operationally, after JLL (NYSE: JLL) named him Chief Operating Officer effective September 16, 2026. The role is a new addition to JLL's organizational structure. Morgan joins the Global Executive Board and reports directly to Christian Ulbrich, the firm's President and CEO.
The 8-K filed the same day identifies the appointment as part of executing Accelerate 2030, JLL's long-term strategy designed to advance its core leadership position and operate on a unified, technology-enabled platform. That strategy runs on six imperatives. "Unlock Platform Excellence," one of the six, is focused on operational consistency at scale across the organization. Centralizing enterprise-wide operational expertise under a Chief Operating Officer is how JLL is acting on that imperative.
JLL has been operating for more than 200 years and carries Fortune 500 status. The firm is a global commercial real estate services and investment management company. Its most recently reported workforce stands at more than 112,000 people across more than 80 countries as of June 30, 2026.
Morgan's track record
His most recent position at JLL was COO of Real Estate Management Services, overseeing building lifecycle solutions aimed at maximizing client returns on real estate investments. Before that, Morgan served as CEO of Workplace Management globally, leading more than 53,000 professionals across 80 countries in delivering facilities management services to Fortune 500 companies. Morgan joined JLL in 2016, having spent the prior 18 years at Johnson Controls in executive roles covering sales, strategy, account management, and operations.
The operating rationale
Ulbrich, in the release, attributed JLL's recent financial performance gains to the unification of business lines and corporate functions carried out in recent years. The COO structure extends that work into a single global operations function, with the stated aim of simplifying how work gets done while increasing consistency and speed of delivery. Morgan's own remarks framed the goal in execution terms: getting the right work to the right people so that client-facing teams can concentrate on outcomes.
JLL's 8-K discloses no compensation terms for the new role. The filing confirms GEB membership and a direct reporting line to Ulbrich.