Karina A. Rico is an experienced professional in the commercial real estate industry with over 18 years of experience. Currently serving as the Regional Director of Marketing for the Western U.S., she is based out of the downtown Los Angeles office of Avison Young (AY), a leading commercial real estate services firm.

In her role, Karina leads the marketing team responsible for the West Region, which encompasses 14 offices across five states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, and Nevada. She brings strategic marketing and branding talents to the table, along with a wealth of energy and more than a decade of experience in the field. Karina has a proven track record of creating and executing effective marketing strategies, both internally and externally, as well as driving business development initiatives.

One of Karina's notable achievements was leading the pursuit team that successfully secured the company's largest real estate portfolio assignment. This assignment consisted of a massive nine million square feet of real estate for a Fortune 200 company, showcasing her ability to manage high-level strategic projects. Her contributions have not gone unnoticed, as she has received recognition for her work, including being named a two-time winner of GlobeSt.com's "Women of Influence" in Marketing and Communications award.

Karina's dedication to excellence extends beyond her marketing responsibilities. She has been nominated multiple times for the Los Angeles Business Journal's "Women Leadership Awards" and has been a two-time recipient of Avison Young's "Above and Beyond" Circle of Excellence award. In 2023, she also received the Avison Young "Global Diversity Champion" award for co-founding the company's Hispanic and Latino Employee Resource Group (ERG) called Conexión.

Her previous experience includes working as the Director of Investor Relations at Benedict Canyon Equities (BCE), a private equity firm focused on multi-family investments. There, she led the investor relations team and implemented various marketing, branding, and communication initiatives. She also played a key role in restructuring the investor relations team and spearheading the implementation of the firm's first integrated CRM system.

Before her time at BCE, Karina held positions at bkm Capital Partners, where she oversaw marketing and operations for the boutique industrial property investment firm, and Colliers International, where she worked as a Content Manager. She also gained valuable experience as a Regional Marketing Manager at Jones Lang LaSalle, one of the top five commercial real estate services firms globally.

Overall, Karina brings a collaborative culture and an entrepreneurial spirit to her work. She provides talented professionals with creative marketing tools and technology to better serve clients. Additionally, she serves as a point of contact for high-level new business presentations and works closely with brokers to develop strategic business development strategies.

Education and hobbies

Karina holds a California Real Estate Salesperson's license and has a strong educational background. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Social Science from San Diego State University in 2001. In 2016, she accomplished a remarkable feat by earning her MBA from Chapman University while working full time and as a single mom raising her four-year-old son. Despite her busy schedule, she finds time to pursue her interests, such as photography and outdoor activities like walking, hiking, and being a soccer mom to her son.