In honor of Women’s History Month and the Chamber’s Women’s Forum, the Colorado Chamber is recognizing women business leaders, executives, and job creators who are core to our local Colorado communities. Each of the women featured in the month of March were panelists for the Colorado Chamber’s Women’s Forum which happened on March 15.
Today’s feature is Katie Kruger with CBRE
As Colorado market leader, Katie Kruger oversees all advisory lines of business in the state, including leasing, sales, debt and structured finance, valuation and property management. She leads CBRE’s five Colorado offices in downtown Denver, the Denver Tech Center, Boulder, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins.
Raised in rural Alaska and facing challenging family issues and responsibilities well beyond a typical teenager, Kruger decided to join the nearly exclusive male workforce in Alaska’s remote oil fields. This decision early in her life was based on her motivation to go to college and find the next rung in front of her.
“No matter where you are today, there is a rung in front of you,” said Kruger. “Decide what it is and find your moment to climb.”
Prior to joining CBRE, Kruger served as CEO of the Denver Metro Commercial Association of Realtors (DMCAR), representing the interests of commercial real estate professionals across Colorado. Under her leadership, DMCAR increased revenue and membership 50% and 40%, respectively, ultimately becoming the largest local commercial real estate industry group in the U.S. with 2,000 members. As a public policy advocate, Katie helped pass some of the most supportive pieces of commercial real estate legislation in Colorado, including the Broker Lien Law in 2012.
Earlier in her career, Kruger advised developers, builders and government officials across the country in the creation of smart master-planned communities with roles at Strada Advertising, McStain Neighborhoods and Norris Design.
She is also a professor at the University of Colorado Denver, where her classes are comprised of 80% diverse first-in-family educated talent and she strives to connect each student with their first job opportunity before graduation. Today, she serves on the Board and Policy Council at the Downtown Denver Partnership and recently joined the board for Colorado Succeeds, an organization that also believes in a school day that better mirrors the workday.
Kruger was honored as a 2016 PowerBook Award recipient by the Denver Business Journal and received the ACE Award from the National Association of Realtors for innovative management processes and extraordinary member service in 2012 and 2014.
Throughout her career Kruger has committed to giving back and has met with more than 1,100 young people in an effort to share networks and help others find their own rungs.
Connect with Katie Kruger on LinkedIn.