JLL has hired a management consulting and global sales veteran from its largest rival to expand its work dynamics business, helping corporations boost their sustainability, technology and other real estate initiatives.
The Chicago-based brokerage named Gokul Ramdas managing director and principal for solutions development in its work dynamics group. In his new position, Ramdas is responsible for new business development and expanding existing client relationships throughout the Western United States.
JLL's work dynamics, formerly known as corporate solutions, focuses on how the workplace and technology are reshaping real estate. Ramdas is based in JLL's office in Menlo Park, California. An industry veteran with more than 15 years of commercial real estate experience, he joined JLL from CBRE, the world's largest commercial property brokerage firm based on revenue.
Ramdas also plans to collaborate with JLL's global leadership team, its capital markets group and JLL Technologies to drive growth and build partnerships.
His experience will "help us continue to redefine the world of work,” David Popler, managing director of solutions development, said in a statement.
At CBRE, he served as managing director of global workplace solutions from November 2019 until May. He also worked at CBRE from January 2014 to October 2018 as a senior director of sales and client solutions. In between, he served as a vice president at ISS Facility Services.
Ramdas said the office environment continues to evolve as corporations determine when and how to bring back their employees with the pandemic showing signs of winding down.
“Our clients and the corporate real estate industry are at an interesting inflection point, where new and creative solutions are needed to help companies return to offices, build hybrid workplaces of the future, and tangibly realize the promise of ESG agendas,” Ramdas said in a statement. “We’ll do this through new products, services and partnership models that stretch us as companies and leaders."