John Birkinshaw has over 30 years’ experience in the real estate industry, focusing his career on ways to positively impact the community through environmental remediation and redevelopment of lands that were impacted by historic mining operations in Utah. As the President of the Salt Lake City Global Logistics Center project, he is focused on creating an economically vibrant and environmentally sound overall project development plan. He oversees all GLC business operations included design, entitlement, construction, staffing, community engagement, lease negotiations, and financial performance. John is experienced in complex project management, stakeholder engagement, and long-term planning for commercial real estate development.

Prior to joining Colmena Group,  John spent almost three decades working with Rio Tinto Kennecott. At the beginning of his career he worked on Kennecott’s CERCLA / Superfund remedial investigations and feasibility studies including surface water modeling, soil characterization, and soil removal activities. He then transitioned to Kennecott Land as the Director of Land Planning and Divestment focused on land entitlement and monetization strategy. In that role, he provided real estate consulting services to other global Rio Tinto business units. 

John loves working on complex problems with diverse stakeholders to provide value for all involved. He was a key part of the development of Salt Lake City’s Northwest Quadrant General Plan. That project included engagement among city officials, environmentally-focused community members, and land ownership. It resulted in a plan that would provide long-term protection of critical wildlife habitat while responding to the economic development needs of the greater community. 

John received his Bachelor of Science in Civil/Environmental Engineering and his Master Business Administration from the University of Utah. 

John was born and raised in Utah and is an avid mountain biker and skier. He is married with a 13-year-old daughter and two cats – Maeser and Kalani. In his free time, John is involved with youth mountain biking and ski mountaineering programs.