JLL has invested in the growth of its Retail brokerage and property management service offerings, most recently with the acquisition of the Wilson Group in Los Angeles and Shelter Bay in San Francisco. Now it’s building its retail research platform with the addition of James Cook as the Americas Director of Retail Research. In his new role, Cook will work closely with the firm’s retail experts on data collection that will broaden its retail leasing and investment market analysis.

“Our retail business has seen explosive growth in the last two years, and appointing a dedicated national retail researcher is a crucial investment that will drive our business forward,” said Greg Maloney, Americas CEO of JLL Retail. “James will take our programming from data-driven analysis to invaluable forecasting and storytelling, offering clients proprietary research that truly elevates their decision making and investment abilities.”

Cook most recently built and led the new analytics department for Xceligent as a National Director. Prior to that he served as the U.S. Director of Research at Colliers International where he oversaw the commercial property market’s research products and services across all asset classes. He is the Chairperson for ICSC’s annual Research Connections conference, and previously served on the NAIOP conference planning committee and ULI’s Indianapolis Chapter. Cook holds an undergraduate degree from West Chester University in Pennsylvania.

“JLL will be at the forefront of retail research with James on board. Adding him to our roster reinforces our commitment to leading the retail industry through the creation of powerful thought-leadership and research for our occupier and investor clients,” said Naveen Jaggi, President of Retail Brokerage, JLL. “James brings broad experience growing and managing a research team, and understands the need for scalable research solutions. His ability to analyze retail’s macro fundamentals through a wide lens, but also hone-in on local city nuances will support our clients’ needs for forward-thinking insights.”