The State of Commercial Real Estate with Guest Speaker: Karen Case, Vice Chair, CIBC U.S.

Join us on November 20 for a dinner program and insightful overview of the current trends and challenges facing the commercial real estate sector.

Guest speaker, Karen Case, Vice Chair, CIBC U.S., will lead this engaging discussion, offering her expert perspective on the recovery of commercial real estate in Chicago. She'll highlight economic factors and market shifts that are  shaping the industry, with a look ahead to 2025.

About Karen Case:

Karen Case is Vice Chair of CIBC Bank USA where she supports CIBC’s clients, people and communities.

From 2007-2023, Karen served as President of CIBC US Commercial Real Estate, overseeing the business units that develop and manage real estate finance and banking relationships with dynamic and growing commercial real estate developers, investors, owners and operators nationally. She grew the line of business from scratch to a $25 billion book of loan commitments supported by 150 FTE’s in 14 offices across the country and generating $500+ million in annual revenue. She sat on the bank's US Executive Committee along with numerous other top-of-the-house committees. Previously, Ms. Case served as executive vice president at LaSalle Bank (acquired by Bank of America in October 2007).

Karen earned her MBA from The University of Chicago and a BS in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis. She also attended The University of London and The American College in Paris. A native of New York, Ms. Case lives in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood with her husband, Jay. They have three grown children.

CURRENT BOARDS:
Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), Illinois Chapter
Community Investment Corporation
The Harold E Eisenberg Foundation
ICSC Foundation
Rush University Medical Center
WTTW/Chicago PBS and WFMT Chicago

SELECT AWARDS:
Urban Land Institute (Chicago) – Lifetime Achievement Award (2023)
The Goldie Initiative – Shero Award (2019)
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana – Luminary Award (2018)
Chicago Architecture Foundation – Catalyst Award (2017)
CREW Chicago – Industry Achievement Award (2014)