NEW YORK CITY—PGIM Real Estate has hired Sara Shank as managing director and global head of innovation, based in its New York City office. Shank will lead the firm’s effort to advance investment decision-making and business operations around the world by harnessing data and technology in new ways.

PGIM Real Estate is the real estate investment and financing business of PGIM, the $1.3 trillion global investment management business of Prudential Financial, Inc. In this newly created role, Shank will work across PGIM Real Estate’s global debt and equity platform to bridge technological innovation and other macro trends affecting the real estate business, with the goal of driving exceptional outcomes for the firm’s clients, according to a prepared release.

She will be responsible for developing and implementing technology solutions and data strategies across investment, asset management, operations and client servicing. “Innovation has been a hallmark of our firm since

Quick service restaurants continue to remain resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic. While overall sales are down across all dining sectors, QSRs have been the most popular restaurant choice for consumers looking to feed their families at a reasonable price during this challenging time.

Investors are taking note of how well QSRs have been performing in this unprecedented crisis, and I have seen a notable uptick in interest from those targeting the STNL category. It is hard not to argue that QSRs have historically performed well over past economic downturns and many are poised to come out of this crisis virtually unscathed, supplying investors with a stable, cash-flowing, and tangible investment—an asset that is increasingly difficult to pinpoint.

Despite the fact that national QSR chains are reporting an average dip in sales of about 25% according to the National Franchisee Association—the industry average for primary, secondary, and tertiary