WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2026
SIMONS THEATRE NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM | THE PALM
PROGRAM
LEADERSHIP & WORKPLACE AWARDS 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
CBRE is proud to support the 2026 CoreNet Global New England Awards of Excellence
Congrats to this year’s honorees, including CBRE’s Margaret Fee for participating in the George M. Conti Young Leaders Professional Development Program and Rob Kinlin for participating in the Leadership 2.0 Program.
Thank you for joining us at our annual CoreNet Global – New England Chapter Awards of Excellence, where we come together to recognize and celebrate the very best in our industry. This event is a meaningful reminder of the power of connection and community—and how much we value the opportunity to gather, honor achievements, and strengthen the relationships that make the CoreNet Global – New England Chapter truly exceptional.
This year, we introduced some exciting changes to our Awards of Excellence program; tonight, we will also graduate our esteemed Leadership 2.0 2025/2026 Cohort, in addition to the graduation of the George M. Conti Young Leaders Professional Development Program 2025 Cohort, and we have also introduced a People’s Choice Award this year – please be sure to vote tonight before we close the voting. I would also like to thank CoreNet Global Interim CEO Jeri Ballard for making the trip to Boston to join us tonight!
As we
to navigate transformation and discover new possibilities, it’s the passion, innovation, and collaboration of our leaders, volunteers, members, and sponsors that help steer us forward. Your commitment is the driving force behind our Chapter’s continued success and our shared mission to Connect, Learn, Grow, and Belong. A heartfelt thank you to the Awards Committee and volunteers for bringing this celebration to life, and to all our Chapter Leaders for your invaluable contributions. Congratulations once again to our award winners—your accomplishments inspires us all. We hope you enjoy the evening and leave energized by the boundless opportunities that await.
Nikita, Scientist, Waltham, MA _US
Sanofi is an R&D driven, AI-powered biopharma company committed to improving people’s lives and creating compelling growth
We apply our deep understanding of the immune system to invent medicines and vaccines that treat and protect millions of people around the world, with an innovative pipeline that could benefit millions more. Our team is guided by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives; this inspires us to drive progress and deliver positive impact for our people and the communities we serve, by addressing the most urgent healthcare, environmental, and societal challenges of our time.
*Times are approximate
Registration
Lobby inside Simons Theatre Auditorium 5:45PM-6:00PM
Awards Program
Inside Simons Theatre Auditorium 6:00pm-7:15pm
Video Welcome - Jeri Ballard, CoreNet Global Interim CEO
President’s Welcome - Jacqueline Falla
Special Recognition - 2025 Cohort Graduation,
George M. Conti Young Leaders Professional Development Program
Leadership 2.0 2025/2026 Cohort Graduation
Doug Noonan President's Award
Leadership Awards
Workplace Awards
People's Choice Award
Post-Awards Reception at The Palm Cocktails, Buffet Dinner + Networking 7:15PM-9:30PM
RICH BETTINA
Vice President of Global Real Estate
Fresenius Medical Care
VARUNEE BETTS-KOSOWAN
Vice President of Strategic Partnerships
ClearSpace Design
JASPER GONDHI
Director
VVA – Part of Drees & Sommer
COURTNEY HICKEY (LOMBARDO)
Global Sales Project Manager
Humanscale
CHRISTOPHER KUBALA
Workplace Services
Program Lead
GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES OUR EVENT SPONSORS
PREMIER SPONSORS
SIMONS THEATER SIGNATURE BAR SPONSOR THE PALM SIGNATURE BAR SPONSOR
ENTERTAINMENT SPONSOR
REGISTRATION SPONSOR
PHOTOGRAPHY SPONSOR VALET SPONSOR
RAW BAR SPONSOR RIDE SHARE SPONSOR
DESSERT SPONSOR
SIGNAGE SPONSOR
CARICATURE ARTIST SPONSORS
LIGHT BOX SPONSORS
MEDIA SPONSOR
JACQUELINE FALLA President AMCON
KEN PAPETTI President Elect Iron Mountain
KRISTIN POULIN Chief Talent Officer Structure Tone
SARAH ABRAMS Iron Mountain
ADAM FANDREY Middlesex Savings Bank
ALAN KOCHER
Treasurer Boston Consulting Group
CHRISTINE WEINER
Secretary Officeworks, Inc.
MAUREEN RYSTROM J.Calnan & Associates
CHRISTOPHER HORBLIT TJX Companies
SUZANNE COOPER Booking Holdings, Inc. BRUCE SHICK
STEVEN DOBEN First Citizens Bank
CYNTHIA KELIHER McCarter & English
RICH BETTINA Vice President, Global Real Estate Fresenius Medical Care
MAGGIE BLAKE Vice President, Interior Design & Exterior Signage Manager Citizens
LAURIE BOEHL Director of Due Diligence PES Associates
STEFANIE COMEAU
Principal, Workplace Market Leader Stantec
KRISTIN ENRIGHT
Senior Manager, Real Estate & Construction Thermo Fisher Scientific
ELIZABETH EROMIN Lead, Leasing & Transactions Fidelity
MARISA FAVA Sales Director Humanscale
ANDREW FEIBELMAN Vice President, Project Management & Development Services JLL
SANDRA GUCCIARDI
GABRIELLE HARVEY
Executive Vice Chair Cushman & Wakefield
KATHRYN HESTER Director of Corporate Office Development & Facilities InterSystems Corporation
KATHERINE KENNEY Senior Project Manager Northstar Project & Real Estate Services
CERISE MARCELA Senior Vice President CBRE
MCCORMACK
HOLYN NICKERSON
SANFORD
LAURA WALSH
ALAN KOCHER
Global Real Estate Program Delivery Sr. Manager
Boston Consulting Group
FRANK KELLY Senior Project Manager Structure Tone
JENNY LOUGHLIN Project Manager Liberty Mutual Insurance
HOLLAND Senior Advisor Cresa
GREY GETTLEMAN Senior Associate, Brokerage Cushman & Wakefield
OLIVIA FINOCCHIARO Chief of Staff HelmsBNB
BENOIT Manager Accounting & Controls John Hancock
CLARE KENNEDY Business Development & Digital Marketing Lee Kennedy Co.
IPSITHA BAYAPU Project Manager
Northstar Project & Real Estate Services
RYAN LEVESQUE Sr. Real Estate Coordinator Fresenius Medical Care
STEVEN GIBREE Manager of Workplace Design & Space Planning TJX Companies
Now entering its 10th year, Leadership 2.0 is the New England Chapter of CoreNet Global’s professional development program for mid-career corporate real estate professionals. Designed to help participants strengthen their leadership skills, broaden their networks, and prepare for the future of work, the program offers a unique opportunity to learn in a small-group setting from premier executive leadership coaches.
Applications for the 2026-2027 Cohort of Leadership 2.0 open on June 1, 2026, and close at 5:00 PM on July 17, 2026.
Ideal candidates have approximately 10 years of experience in commercial or corporate real estate, currently lead others or are eager to step into leadership, and are committed to ongoing learning and development.
Want to learn more? A virtual information session will be held on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, and Wednesday, June 24, 2026, from 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM, from 8:30–9:00 AM. To register, please email Claire Olsen at colsen@bermangrp.com
LEADERSHIP 2.0 PROGRAM LEADERS:
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION IS OPEN RATES INCREASE AFTER JULY 15
KEN PAPETTI
Senior Director of Global Transactions & Lease Administration
Iron Mountain
Ken Papetti, Head of Global Transactions and Lease Administration, leads the team responsible for Iron Mountain's real estate transactions around the world as well as the administration of its leases. Ken serves as a key partner to Iron Mountain business leaders by overseeing M&A due diligence and providing expertise on 90 million square feet of leases, acquisitions, dispositions, and other transactions in over 60 countries. In addition, Ken oversees Iron Mountain's centralized global lease payment process that distributes over $535M annually in over 50 countries. Prior to joining Iron Mountain in 2013, Ken spent 7 years in increasingly senior corporate real estate positions at Fidelity Real Estate Company (the corporate real estate division of Fidelity Investments), JLL and Cigna Corporation. He began his career in accounting and financial analysis before making the move to corporate real estate. Ken received an MBA from Babson College and also holds a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. He is an active member of the New England chapter of CoreNet Global, serving on the executive committee as Chapter treasurer since 2023 and on the golf committee for five years.
Executive Vice President
Colliers
Kristin Blount is a Shareholder and Executive Vice President on Colliers’ Urban Brokerage team, with more than 30 years of experience in commercial real estate. She represents companies, institutions, developers, and property owners in leasing transactions and has completed over $4 billion in lease deals across a wide range of asset types. Kristin’s practice is centered on advising and representing corporate clients on their real estate needs. She is known for her thoughtful, creative approach and her ability to develop strategic solutions that align real estate decisions with business objectives. Earlier in her career, Kristin worked in property and asset management, where she managed an extensive portfolio of commercial, industrial, and retail properties. Kristin is an active member in the New England Chapter of CoreNet Global where she sits on the Real Advantage Committee. Kristin also serves planning committee for the Eastern Regional Symposium, a multi-chapter CoreNet Global symposium.
KATHERINE KENNEY
Katherine Kenney, Senior Project Manager at Northstar Project & Real Estate Services, brings more than a decade of experience in real estate and project management, leading projects through all phases of delivery with a focus on ground-up development and tenant improvements ranging from 10,000 to 1.1 million square feet. With deep expertise in complex, mission-critical research and development environments, she currently manages the Boston Children’s Hospital Research Building at 421 Park Drive—a transformative, state-of-the-art facility that will expand BCH’s research capacity in the Fenway and support more than 3,000 researchers and scientific staff in advancing pediatric breakthroughs. Katherine holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations and Communications from the University of Rhode Island and a Master of Science in Project Management of Construction from Northeastern University. She has been an active CoreNet Global - New England Chapter member for over a decade, currently serving as CoChair of the Programs + Properties Committee.
JOY SHAPIRO Director of Business Development Dacon Corporation
Joy Shapiro brings 23 years of experience in the A/E/C industry, with the last 10 years spent serving as Director of Business Development at Dacon Corporation. An active member of The New England Chapter of CoreNet Global since 2003, Joy has volunteered extensively, including more than 10 years on the Programs + Properties Committee with eight as the committee’s Co-Chair. Joy has also spent time volunteering with the Golf Committee, and in 2019, graduated from the Chapter’s prestigious Leadership 2.0 program for professional development. She has also demonstrated significant industry leadership through the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), serving as Immediate Past President following terms as President (2020–2022), President-Elect, and Vice President of Special Events, and earning both the Distinguished Associate Member of the Year Award and the President’s Award. In addition, Joy sits on the board of the MetroWest Life Science Network and an active member of ULI and NAIOP, where she continues to support membership, networking, and industry events.
(Submitted by Takeda)
Takeda’s Learning Center advances the global biopharmaceutical company’s purpose to create better health for people and a brighter future for the world by establishing a dedicated environment that cultivates curiosity, collaboration, and lifelong learning through intentional, in-person experiences. Even as virtual learning expanded as more hybrid and remote work was introduced, the desire for in-person courses continued to outpace virtual offerings, reinforcing the need for a centralized hub—particularly in Massachusetts, where 43% of Takeda’s U.S. in-person learning programs were held between 2018 and 2022, more than any other region. The Learning Center consolidates previously dispersed programs into a single, purpose-built destination at 500 Kendall Street within Takeda’s Kendall Square campus. Additionally, the design successfully optimized approximately 5,125-square-foot of underutilized real estate to support the full spectrum of development, from scientific education and skills training to leadership and executive programming. Distinctly different from the traditional office, yet deeply connected to Takeda’s culture and community, the highly visible and accessible center serves as a dynamic hub for innovation, growth, and science advancement through a variety of spaces that enable meaningful connection, collaboration and concentration.
(Submitted by Structure Tone)
The LEGO Group’s Boston Hub was envisioned as a world-class U.S. headquarters that embodies the company’s mission to “inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow” while supporting long-term growth across the Americas. After more than 50 years in Enfield, Connecticut, the relocation to Boston marked a strategic investment in accessing a broader talent pool and strengthening research partnerships with local institutions. Designed to translate the LEGO® brand into the built environment through playful design, architectural excellence, and thoughtful engineering, the 157,000-square-foot hub balances imaginative expression with high performance to support more than 800 colleagues. The workplace prioritizes connection, creativity, and wellbeing, while reflecting the company’s global sustainability and accessibility commitments. Pursuing and achieving LEED ID+C v4.1 Gold certification in December 2025, the project integrates energy-efficient systems, biophilic design, natural light access, and rigorous material standards—ultimately creating a vibrant, inclusive, and human-centered cultural anchor that strengthens community ties and positions the LEGO Group for continued growth in the U.S. market.
(Submitted by Gensler)
Sanofi M Station in Morristown, NJ was envisioned as a signature workplace that redefines how employees experience work while strengthening Sanofi’s presence in the community. Designed as a flagship site, the 260,000-square-foot workplace relocates more than 2,000 employees from a long-established suburban campus to a vibrant, transit-rich downtown setting. The project embodies Sanofi’s global, human-centric workplace strategy with a hospitality-forward environment that prioritizes flexibility, wellbeing, and performance. Located in the heart of Morristown, the space supports sustainable commuting, provides immediate access to local amenities, and includes a public-facing destination restaurant, The Morris Proper, serving both employees and the broader community. Created as a “home away from home” that enables connection and diverse workstyles, this workplace successfully integrates sustainability, health, and long-term adaptability. M Station quickly exceeded expectations: onsite employee presence surpassed both pre-pandemic levels and projected occupancy, prompting a phased expansion from an initial two workplace floors to five. Sustained employee demand ultimately required the design and delivery of the full building.
(Submitted by JLL)
In March 2025, Biogen, MITIMCo and Blackstone/BioMed announced a landmark 15-year lease for approximately 580,000 square feet at 75 Broadway in Cambridge’s Kendall Square, positioning Biogen as the first anchor tenant of MITIMCo’s 10-acre Kendall Common development. First established in Kendall Square in the 1980s, Biogen’s move to the new headquarters—timed with its 50th anniversary in 2028—consolidates its owned and leased facilities into a centralized hub uniting research, development, operations, and commercial teams under one roof. The deal not only reinforces Kendall Square’s status as a global biotechnology epicenter, often called the “most innovative square mile on the planet,” but also revitalizes the East Cambridge community, supports continued job creation, and sets a benchmark for large-scale headquarters consolidation strategies in the life sciences sector during a period of industry recalibration.
THANK
HEATHER BRUNINI
Teknion
Co-Chair
MARISA FAVA
Humanscale
Board Liaison
BRITTANY LANE
CBRE
Co-Chair
SANDRA GUCCIARDI
Board Liaison
