Sotheby's Connecticut Names First Female CEO
Carolyn Fugere becomes president and CEO of William Pitt-Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty, succeeding Paul Breunich after 30 years.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in People
William Pitt-Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty has named Carolyn Fugere president and CEO, making her the first woman to lead the company in its 77-year history. Paul Breunich, who served as CEO for 30 years, remains owner and executive chairman.
Why it matters
The appointment places a longtime sales leader at the helm of a brokerage with 31 offices serving Connecticut, Westchester County and the Hudson Valley, and the Berkshires. It signals continuity in the firm's sales-focused leadership as it moves into its next chapter.
The firm operates 31 brokerage offices with more than 1,100 sales associates and ranks 36th nationally by sales volume. During Fugere's five years as co-president and chief sales officer, it recorded its highest total closed sales volume for any five-year period, though the announcement does not detail year-over-year figures.
The players
Carolyn Fugere
Fugere is a longtime real estate professional with 25 years of residential experience who previously served as co-president and chief sales officer at the firm.
Paul Breunich
Breunich served as CEO of the brokerage for 30 years and remains its owner and executive chairman.
William Pitt-Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty
The Stamford-headquartered brokerage, founded in 1949, is a Sotheby's International Realty affiliate serving Connecticut and nearby New York and Massachusetts markets.
The details
Fugere most recently served as co-president and chief sales officer, overseeing the company's offices and sales force. She began as a sales advisor 16 years ago at the firm and later led eight offices, including in Litchfield County, New Canaan and Larchmont, New York.
Timeline
1949: William Pitt-Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty is founded.
Five years before the leadership change: Fugere serves as co-president and chief sales officer during a record sales period.
30 years before the leadership change: Paul Breunich begins serving as CEO.
November 4, 2026: Carolyn Fugere is named president and CEO.
Market Landscape
The succession reflects how independently owned Sotheby's International Realty affiliates manage leadership transitions while keeping their local brand and sales-driven culture intact. Promoting an internal sales executive to CEO mirrors a common pattern among regional luxury brokerages competing for agents in crowded Northeast markets.
Clients working with the brokerage's 31 offices should see continuity in sales leadership, since Fugere previously oversaw the sales force. Home buyers and sellers in Connecticut, Westchester and the Berkshires may find the same agents and office structure in place during the transition.
The takeaway
Leadership continuity often matters most to clients when a longtime owner stays involved. Breunich remaining as owner and executive chairman offers a practical signal of stability for agents and buyers during the transition.
Further reading
For more on leadership moves across the state, see People coverage in Connecticut Business news.
