Navigating the Return to the Office

Katherine has 14+ years of experience providing strategic, operational, and regulatory consulting services for global banks, asset managers and retailers. Katherine has assisted clients with developing, structuring, and implementing sustainable strategies to drive revenue growth, operational and system optimization, and address regulatory and business risks. Katherine has a dual MBA from Fordham University, specializing in business sustainability and finance. She graduated cum laude from Baruch College where she majored in Marketing and Business Administration.

Tracy has been active in all aspects corporate real estate and facilities management for over 15 years – her skills encompass project management, design and construction, leasing & transactions and workplace operations. With international experience leading corporate real estate teams in the film, fashion and the technology sectors, notably previously at Yahoo! for 7 years and now at Twitter as the Global Head of Real Estate. She has been at Twitter for the last 5 years joining them to lead their EMEA and APAC Real Estate & Workplace teams in 2013 moving to San Francisco in 2014 to head up their Design & Construction team during a period of explosive growth which ultimately led to her assuming leadership of their entire global Real Estate & Workplace team in March of 2016. Tracy experience covers the entire gambit of corporate real estate including the design and project management of various types of spaces from sound studios for Ridley Scott whilst at Ascent Media Group, to showroom space for Calvin Klein to award winning innovative and collaborative office spaces for Yahoo! and Twitter. Tracy specializes interweaving company culture within the physical space and raising the profile of corporate real estate teams within the business. Tracy’s philosophy is that of #oneteam meaning that CRE must be seen as part of the business as a trusted and strategic business partner with a seat at the decision making table to be truly effective and impactful. Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining Tracy.

Laura Walsh is the Senior Director of Global Real Estate and Workplace for Avid Technology, where she is responsible for leading a global team to sponsor engagement and productivity through Workplace Experience and Service Delivery. Her ongoing focus on effectively delivering to the needs of the business in the technology sector has driven her success in previous roles at Akamai Technologies and OSRAM. She holds a BS in Interior Design from Purdue University, and sits on the Board of Directors for CoreNet New England where she leads Leadership Development Initiatives for the chapter.

Crystal Fisher serves as the Co-Founder of Ease Hospitality, a five-star hospitality brand that she founded to re-evaluate the amenities experience in the commercial leasing market. Using technology to immerse tenants, clients, employees and guests in spaces that exude luxury, comfort, quality and care - traits more common in a world-class hotel than a typical workplace, she created an environment that makes both professional and personal lives easier. Additionally serving as the Managing Director of the Commercial Portfolio for Fisher Brothers, Crystal oversees leasing, operations, management, commercial construction, and marketing for Fisher Brothers. Through the connections she made within the industry and with tenants, she developed a deep understanding of why people need authentic, connected and transformational spaces that people look forward to enjoying each day. Always believing that to solve a problem, you need to know the problem at its source, she spearheaded the launch of Ease Hospitality in 2020. Partnering with visionaries such as world-renowned architect David Rockwell and his Rockwell Group, Ease Hospitality reimagined what an office and amenities experience could be and how it could truly put tenants and guests at ease. Prior to joining Fisher Brothers, Crystal owned and operated a home renovation company, managing projects start to finish all with her newborn daughter Rose on her hip. Inspired by her love of creating spaces that truly benefit the user, Crystal brought her hands-on construction and management experience to her oversight of Fisher Brothers New York City based portfolio. Crystal built this path into real estate after a celebrated career in broadcast journalism. An Emmy Award winning reporter, with more than a decade onscreen on networks such as PBS, CCTV and Investigation Discovery, she retired from television to pursue her passion for her true love, home. Also currently serving as the President of the Avenue of America’s Association and a board member on the Fisher House Foundation, Crystal’s work always centers on an ethos of innovating within the communities and neighborhoods that surround her.