Where Big Thinkers Transform the Industry

Originally a user experience and design consultant, Laura, an Arizona-based Vice President in our Digital & Technology (D&T) group, came to CBRE five years ago when a leader approached her and showed her the opportunities available within CBRE’s technology platform:

“I realized CBRE was an innovative place with lots of opportunities, especially given its size and diversity. With all its different business lines, clients, geography, you name it — the scale of impact I could potentially have at a company of that size and breadth really excited me.”

At CBRE, Laura’s role has focused on improving CBRE's technology-based services, products and experiences both internally for employees and externally for clients. She managed and coached the team that developed a software called Site IQ, an industry-leading survey creator tool that helps CBRE’s Industrial & Logistics professionals work with their clients to select optimal locations.

“As part of our user experience design strategy, we strive to deeply understand the needs and challenges our clients or users have before building the technology they need. That’s how we create value for everyone involved.”

By putting people first and practicing empathy, Laura has been able to do work with tremendous global impact. While mentoring youth at a UNICEF youth hackathon in the early days of her career, she and a colleague stumbled upon a revelation that continues to inform her work to this day. Tasked with helping their mentees learn how to address social problems within their communities through technology-based solutions, they had the following insight:

"We realized that requiring technology to be part of the solution was limiting to young people without access to STEM education and training. So we helped UNICEF evolve their program beyond technology and developed a strategic, more inclusive program that was easy to replicate and locally sustainable—and would likely cost less, too.”

The program Laura helped redesign, Upshift, has since been implemented by UNICEF in nearly 50 countries – and reached more than 4.1 million young people.

“The importance of an empathy-driven approach when dealing with both internal teams and client relationships cannot be overstated. We don’t want a bad technology experience to give a negative impression of our company’s services and abilities.”

It’s Laura’s unique, empathic approach to digital and technology work that has made her a standout leader and innovator at CBRE, which in 2023 was named one of the top corporations for women business enterprises by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

CBRE recognizes the value of fresh ideas and perspectives, cultivating a culture where creators and doers like Laura can thrive. Laura’s journey with CBRE is a testament to our commitment to hiring and nurturing talent that continually challenges convention.