Interior design, procurement, capital management and project management firm Premier continues its expansion with new appointments. The firm has hired Paul Morrell as chief operating officer. As an established operations executive with more than 20 years’ experience managing multi-disciplinary business teams globally, Morrell will be integral to Premier’s growth as a leading customer-focused organization servicing industries including hospitality, multifamily and student housing.
“Bringing on Paul Morrell to the Premier team showcases our commitment to creating an internal team with people who have tremendous leadership and execution experience that complement our client and colleague-focused core values,” said Hector Sanchez, CEO, Premier. “Morrell knows operations and management inside and out and has the skillset and experience to successfully lead team members across all sectors.”
The interior design, architecture, procurement, project management, engineering and contract teams will report directly to Morrell in this new role. He will oversee overall corporate operations for Premier, develop and manage business plans, and ensure collaboration between the operations and business development teams. Morell will also be responsible for facilitating effective recruiting, onboarding, professional development and performance management.
“I am excited to be joining the Premier team,” said Morrell. “My goal is to help implement the best strategies and tactfully take steps toward becoming an exemplary organization that stimulates and excites our team member, while we design and create innovative and amazing spaces for our clients.”
Before joining Premier, Morrell held executive leadership positions overseeing operations, supply chain, human resources, IT, capital management and real estate divisions. Under his leadership, he also managed global operations for a $1-billion annual revenue service company with more than 7,000 employees.
Additionally, VP of Strategic Partnerships Rex Tullius has been appointed VP of development. Drawing upon his knowledge and experience as a developer, Tullius will lead the firm into a new era of growth by strengthening its relationships with various stakeholders throughout the development process.
“Tullius has played an integral role in building our project portfolio,” Sanchez said. “We see a tremendous opportunity to accelerate our growth through strategic partnerships and investments. Tullius has extensive real estate development experience and invaluable relationships with key partners within hospitality and other industries, and we’re excited to have him step into this new role.”
As VP of development, Tullius will be responsible for orchestrating the parties within the development process, leading the interplay between finance, leasing and construction, and spearheading entitlements and government relations. Within this role, Tullius will work to strengthen relationships with cities, co-developers and various stakeholders throughout the development process to grow Premier’s development pipeline. Tullius will also be responsible for aiding in business development by introducing clients to Premier’s comprehensive offerings.
“Since joining Premier over a year ago, I have been able to shape my career path and foster new relationships with domestic hospitality owners and investors to grow Premier’s portfolio,” said Tullius. “I see this next step as an exciting opportunity to further strengthen our presence within the industry. I look forward to working alongside the leadership team to create new connections.”
Tullius is an accomplished and respected industry veteran and brings a unique skill set and in-depth industry experience to his new role. Having been a developer in previous positions, he possesses the ability to streamline the development process and provide consultative solutions to his clients. Before joining Premier, Tullius worked at Legacy Development as a president. There, he gained experience working on all aspects of the project development life-cycle across various asset classes and capital stacks.
