Kathy Thurston is an executive director at PGIM Real Estate and the global co-head of Sustainability, responsible for directly overseeing the U.S. equity and debt sustainability program. Additionally, Kathy leads the Sustainability Integration Workgroup, a global committee of PGIM Real Estate functional leaders focused on the impact of emerging sustainability regulations. With nearly 30 years of industry experience, Kathy most recently led our global sustainable finance program, working in coordination with the debt leadership, portfolio management teams and investors to develop our global sustainable finance capabilities to meet both regulatory and investor needs, and has assisted the agriculture business with their bespoke sustainability strategy.
Previously, Kathy was a portfolio manager for PGIM Real Estate’s U.S. investment strategies focused on core plus and high-yield debt investments on behalf of institutional investors. In that role, she was responsible for the fund’s capital market and asset management strategies, oversight of fund performance, and day-to-day fund operations.
Earlier, Kathy was head of Institutional Real Estate for The Private Bank, subsequently acquired by CIBC. In her role she was responsible for bridge and corporate lending to pension fund advisors, private equity funds, and real estate finance companies. In addition to business development and portfolio management activities, during her tenure, Kathy was integral in the development of new debt products and new market expansion strategies. Kathy also held a position on the Bank’s Leadership Committee.
Kathy has a master of business administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and has achieved CFA Institute ESG Investing Certificate. She has held several industry board and committee positions with ULI, NAIOP and CREFC and has served as a Girls Who Invest mentor.
