Karen Horstmann

Biography: Karen Horstmann is the Head of US Real Estate for CDPQ, which manages $330 billion of assets globally. She is responsible for the US real estate investment strategy, asset management and the US real estate team. Previously, she served as the Head of Acquisitions for Allianz Real Estate of America ('PIMCO Prime Real Estate'), part of the world’s largest real estate investor, with equity and debt totaling $76.4 billion worldwide. Prior to joining Allianz Real Estate in September 2019, Karen launched the US real estate business for Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), Norway’s $1.6 trillion Government Pension Fund Global, between 2011 and 2019. Over this period, she built the US investment team, real estate platform, and developed a $28 billion strong portfolio. Before NBIM, Karen launched the inaugural Meyer Bergman Capital Partners pan-European real estate private equity fund. Karen started her real estate career in 1999 in London working for Goldman Sachs’ Real Estate Principal Investment Area. Karen has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, and was the recent Chair of the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate ('AFIRE'). She has been a Key Leader as a member of the Americas Executive Committee, Governing Board of Trustees, Fund and Foundation Investment Committees, and Urban Development Mixed Use Councils Bronze and Blue of the Urban Land Institute ('ULI'). Karen is also an active member of New York Women Executives in Real Estate ('WX'), where she serves on the Scholarship Committee. Karen holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and is fluent in Spanish.