CHICAGO—In another move toward becoming a global leader in retail real estate services, JLL has tapped retailing veteran David Zoba as chair of its global retail leasing board. As chair of the board, which JLL formed in 2012 to strengthen its international retail service delivery, Zoba will unite the firm's Asia Pacific, Europe and Americas experts in the sector.

He'll also counsel growing brands entering foreign markets and connect them with retail's top landlords in North America, Europe and Asia. Zoba will advise JLL's client base on the nuances and hurdles of site selection, the construction process, lease terms and variances in legal regulations from country to country.

It's a counseling agenda that Zoba is well prepared to tackle. In a career spanning 30 years, he's been on both the landlord and tenant sides of retail, although he began his real estate career in law. Most recently, he served for six years as SVP, global real estate and store development at Gap Inc., retiring from that position earlier this year.