Jim Taylor Jr., former ICSC chair who led Brixmor Property Group as CEO from 2016 until his retirement at the end of 2025, has passed away, Brixmor announced.
“Jim meant a great deal to me,” said ICSC president and CEO Tom McGee. “He was a wonderful friend who was thoughtful, considerate and genuine — a great leader and a kind man who made everyone around him feel valued. I trusted Jim implicitly and could talk to him openly about almost anything. When I sought his advice, he always offered his steady and calm support. Our friendship extended well beyond ICSC, and we shared many great meals, funny stories, and rounds of golf. He was an absolute joy to be with, and it was my privilege to be his friend. He gave so much to ICSC, to this industry and to the many people fortunate enough to know him.”
Jim Taylor Jr., former ICSC chair who led Brixmor Property Group as CEO from 2016 until his retirement at the end of 2025 Photo above and at top courtesy of Brixmor
Taylor guided Brixmor through what the company called “a pivotal period of transformation and strategic repositioning.” Brian Finnegan, who had served as the open-air retail center owner and operator’s president and COO and interim CEO, succeeded Taylor as CEO and president effective Jan. 1. Finnegan is currently chair of the ICSC Foundation.
Brixmor remembered Taylor as a leader whose “vision, integrity and humanity left an enduring mark” on the company and on the broader real estate industry. The REIT extended condolences to Taylor’s wife, Alice; his daughters, Gracie and Mary Lyle; and his many friends and colleagues.
“Jim was an exceptional leader who left a lasting impact on Brixmor and our industry,” Finnegan said in Brixmor’s announcement. “He had a unique ability to bring clarity to complex situations, often using simple, memorable analogies that resonated with everyone around him. Even after his retirement, Jim remained one of Brixmor’s strongest supporters, always invested in the company’s success.” Finnegan also described Taylor as “a trusted mentor, a genuine friend” and a leader who “put people first, not just in principle, but in practice.”
Taylor became 2024 ICSC chair in December 2023. He also served on the ICSC board of trustees, as a member of ICSC’s executive board and as a member of its Audit & Finance, Nominating & Governance and Investment committees.
In a Commerce + Communities Today profile published as his term as chair began, Taylor spoke often about the importance of trust, team building and developing the next generation of industry leaders. “I’ve always believed that great real estate matters but great people matter far more,” he said then. “The greatest gift for me is watching teams outperform.”
Taylor encouraged involvement in ICSC and said the organization’s strength came from the relationships it fostered across the Marketplaces Industry. He was especially passionate about programs that supported young and diverse talent, including the ICSC Foundation’s Launch Academy, ICSC’s 4 Under 40 and its Next Generation Leadership Network. “These programs represent great opportunities for our young leaders to gain exposure,” he said in the 2023 profile. “We need to keep a strong emphasis on them because they’re the future.”
Before joining Brixmor, Taylor was executive vice president and CFO of Federal Realty Investment Trust. Earlier, he spent nearly 15 years in managing director and group head roles with Wells Fargo/Eastdil Secured and predecessor firms Wachovia Securities and First Union Securities, completing more than $100 billion in transactions.
Taylor began his career as an accountant with Price Waterhouse, now known as PwC, before earning a law degree from the University of Virginia and specializing in securities law at Hunton & Williams. That mix of accounting, legal, finance and operating experience shaped his approach to leadership, he told C+CT in 2023.
At Brixmor, Taylor saw an opportunity to reposition well-located but underinvested centers and to rebuild trust. He described the company’s purpose as “creating and owning shopping centers that truly are the ‘center’ of the communities they serve.” That philosophy aligned closely with ICSC’s focus on the Marketplaces Industry and the role that retail properties play in creating jobs, generating public revenues and supporting community vibrancy. Taylor also emphasized the importance of property-level knowledge, saying in 2023 that “the best ideas come from those close to the real estate.”
“Having known Jim for 30 years in the industry, I have always admired his gift for making people feel valued, bringing warmth, humor and authenticity to every relationship,” Brixmor chair Sheryl Crosland said in the company’s statement announcing Taylor’s passing. “Jim’s pride in his family always shone through, and in many ways, he treated the Brixmor team as a second family. He was a true partner and source of encouragement to all. He will be sorely missed.”