Kristina Kopans.
Kristina Kopans, 28
Vice President at JLL
Kristina Kopans says she refocused during the pandemic on her mental and physical health.
“It was always a priority before, but now more so than ever,” she explained in September. “I’ve made myself stick to that, and I’ve definitely started running every day, which has been a great outlet for me mentally.”
“I have an Apple watch. If I don’t get my 10,000 steps in every day, I go a little crazy,” she added with a laugh.
It’s a good thing she’s got the extra energy, because the JLL executive in the brokerage’s New York consulting and advisory group based in Midtown was busy at work during the pandemic.
Kopans was the lead analyst for the consolidation of MDC Partners into approximately 200,000 square feet at 1 World Trade Center, which required an acquisition and several dispositions, and for KKR’s expansion and extension at 10 Hudson Yards. She’s also now working on Macquarie Bank’s pending headquarters move.
“During the pandemic, we’ve done a lot of strategy for our portfolio clients, looking at their portfolios and seeing in what areas they can cut costs or use their lease language [to their advantage],” Kopans said.
That understandably has involved a lot of sublease and near-term lease expiration projects, she said. But that’s not so much the case anymore. “I would say, though, that over the last couple of months we’ve definitely noticed an uptick in pitching new business, which is definitely a nice change,” she said.
Amid the workload, Kopans was promoted to vice president in February after starting as an associate just five years back.
On top of the financial analyses for major New York deals, Kopans has continued to lead JLL’s younger employees as president of the company’s Young Guns, a group that includes more than 100 professionals. That has involved organizing charitable efforts, including raising more than $20,000 for research into rare cancers, as well as arranging informal meet-and-greets with higher-ups at JLL and planning social events.
Kopans’ leadership of the company’s younger staff also included something so very of the moment: an introduction and information session for JLL employees who joined the firm during COVID.—T.A.
