Sara Gougarty has been promoted to lead Cushman & Wakefield’s Practice Group’s in the Americas, the firm announced today. She will be based in New York and report to Todd Schwartz, Chief Operations Officer, Americas.

In her new role, Gougarty will be responsible for leading current practice groups and growing new ones, enabling and fostering collaboration across all asset, product and service types; marketing each practice group’s qualifications and expertise; and enhancing client services across Cushman & Wakefield’s Americas platform.

“We have a real opportunity to further differentiate our services and capabilities through our specialty practice groups,” Gougarty said. “Our practice group leaders are foremost advisors in each field and provide targeted, creative strategies for clients derived from unequaled subject matter expertise. Continuing to strengthen, align and provide focused support to specialty practice groups remains one of our highest priorities.”

Added Schwartz, “Over the years, we have assembled multi-disciplined teams across various sectors such as legal, healthcare, technology and logistics to serve as strategic advisors to clients delivering expert insight into current issues and trends. Sara is a new, progressive leader whose vision will help us build on their many achievements with an even greater focus on client services. She will be a tremendous advocate for these groups as they create best-in-class strategies and solutions.”

Gougarty brings immense global and practice group experience to her new role. Prior to her most recent position as Director of Retail Services, Americas, and Head of China Retail Cross-Border, she served as Head of China Retail Tenant Representation, based in Shanghai. In this role, she managed the firm’s Retail Tenant Representation teams across Greater China and in Asia Pacific, providing a range of advisory services for retailers entering or expanding operations in China and other Asia Pacific markets. Named Cushman & Wakefield’s leading retail producer in China for every year she served in that capacity, Gougarty also earned awards for both Deal of the Year and Top Broker of the Year in China in 2014. Significant clients include Apple, Under Armour and LEGO.