CHICAGO-Kathy Sandstrom, senior managing director with Heitman, has seen the commercial real estate industry welcome more women into higher roles. In fact, she is one such individual, being that she was named equity partner at the age of 39 and was the second woman in the company to hold such a role. Ultimately, she feels that communication is a key factor in success in this field, regardless of gender and that differences between the way men and women approach life should be celebrated.

Globest: How did you get started in the commercial real estate industry?

When I graduated from college with an accounting degree, I knew that I did not want to join a big public accounting firm. I joined Heitman in the investor accounting group and quickly realized two things: I loved the real estate investment business and I did not love accounting in practice. I moved into the firm's investor relations group shortly thereafter.