Nicholas Pell sees the big picture – he has to. As president and chief investment officer for Link Logistics, formed by Blackstone in 2019, he is responsible for managing the company’s immense U.S.-based industrial real estate portfolio spanning over 500 million square feet, which a full 5% of U.S. GDP flows through. In this episode, Nick talks to Marc about operating in the current choppy capital markets, why he expects a strong leasing environment in 2024, and the challenges inherent when focusing on infill development, as Link does. Six data scientists sit outside Nick’s office; he explains how Link is embracing the potential applications of AI and finding new ways to get data into the hands of decisionmakers more efficiently, underwriting better and faster. He also shares one thing that never gets old: making the deal. Recorded Nov. 27, 2023.