The New England Chapter of CoreNet Global names winners of the 2026 Awards of Excellence

Boston, MA The New England Chapter of CoreNet Global has named the winners of its 2026 Awards of Excellence, acknowledging the outstanding corporate real estate achievements of Boston’s remarkable individuals and companies in 2025. The winners will be formally presented with their awards at the annual event, this year hosted at the Simons Theater at the New England Aquarium, followed by a reception at The Palm on May 6^th. 

Leadership Award Winners

Corporate Real Estate Executive of the Year: 
Ken Papetti, Senior Director of Global Transactions & Lease Administration, Iron Mountain

Papetti, head of global transactions and lease administration, leads the team responsible for Iron Mountain’s real estate transactions around the world as well as the administration of its leases. Papetti serves as a key partner to Iron Mountain business leaders by overseeing M&A due diligence and providing expertise on 90 million s/f of leases, acquisitions, dispositions, and other transactions in over 60 countries. In addition, Papetti oversees Iron Mountain’s centralized global lease payment process that distributes over $535 million annually in over 50 countries. 

Service Provider of the Year:
Kristin Blount, Executive Vice President, Colliers

Blount is a shareholder and executive vice president on Colliers’ Urban Brokerage team, with more than 30 years of experience in commercial real estate. She represents companies, institutions, developers, and property owners in leasing transactions and has completed over $4 billion in lease deals across a wide range of asset types. Blount’s practice is centered on advising and representing corporate clients on their real estate needs. She is known for her thoughtful, creative approach and her ability to develop strategic solutions that align real estate decisions with business objectives. 

CoreNet Global – New England Chapter Volunteer Hall of Fame: 
Joy Shapiro, Director of Business Development, Dacon Corp.

Shapiro brings 23 years of experience in the A/E/C industry, with the last 10 years spent serving as director of business development at Dacon Corp. An active member of The New England Chapter of CoreNet Global since 2003, Shapiro has volunteered extensively, including more than 10 years on the Programs + Properties Committee with eight as the committee’s co-chair. Shapiro has also spent time volunteering with the Golf Committee, and in 2019, graduated from the Chapter’s prestigious Leadership 2.0 program for professional development. 

Emerging Leader Leadership of the Year:
Katherine Kenney, Senior Project Manager, Northstar Project & Real Estate Services

Kenney brings more than a decade of experience in real estate and project management, leading projects through all phases of delivery with a focus on ground-up development and tenant improvements ranging from 10,000 to 1.1 million s/f. With deep expertise in complex, mission-critical research and development environments, she currently manages the Boston Children’s Hospital Research Building at 421 Park Dr. – a trans-formative facility that will expand BCH’s research capacity in the Fenway and support more than 3,000 researchers and scientific staff in advancing pediatric breakthroughs. 

Best Workplace Award Winners

Best New Small Workplace (<75,000 s/f):
Takeda Global Learning Center Cambridge(Submitted by Takeda) 

Takeda’s Learning Center advances the global biopharmaceutical company’s purpose to create better health for people and a brighter future for the world by establishing a dedicated environment that cultivates curiosity, collaboration, and lifelong learning through intentional, in-person experiences. Even as virtual learning expanded as more hybrid and remote work was introduced, the desire for in-person courses continued to outpace virtual offerings, reinforcing the need for a centralized hub – particularly in Massachusetts, where 43% of Takeda’s U.S. in-person learning programs were held between 2018 and 2022, more than any other region. The Learning Center consolidates previously dispersed programs into a single, purpose-built destination at 500 Kendall St. within Takeda’s Kendall Sq. campus. Additionally, the design successfully optimized approximately 5,125 s/f of underutilized real estate to support the full spectrum of development, from scientific education and skills training to leadership and executive programming. Distinctly different from the traditional office, yet deeply connected to Takeda’s culture and community, the highly visible and accessible center serves as a dynamic hub for innovation, growth, and science advancement through a variety of spaces that enable meaningful connection, collaboration and concentration. 

Best New Large Workplace (>75,000 s/f):
The LEGO Group Boston Hub (Submitted by Structure Tone)

The LEGO Group’s Boston Hub was envisioned as a world-class U.S. headquarters that embodies the company’s mission to “inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow” while supporting long-term growth across the Americas. After more than 50 years in Enfield, Conn., the relocation to Boston marked a strategic investment in accessing a broader talent pool and strengthening research partnerships with local institutions. Designed to translate the LEGO brand into the built environment through playful design, architectural excellence, and thoughtful engineering, the 157,000 s/f hub balances imaginative expression with high performance to support more than 800 colleagues. The workplace prioritizes connection, creativity, and wellbeing, while reflecting the company’s global sustainability and accessibility commitments. Pursuing and achieving LEED ID+C v4.1 Gold certification in December 2025, the project integrates energy-efficient systems, biophilic design, natural light access, and rigorous material standards – ultimately creating a vibrant, inclusive, and human-centered cultural anchor that strengthens community ties and positions the LEGO Group for continued growth in the U.S. market.

Best New Workplace Outside of New England:
Sanofi M Station (Submitted by Gensler)

Sanofi M Station in Morristown, NJ was envisioned as a signature workplace that redefines how employees experience work while strengthening Sanofi’s presence in the community. Designed as a flagship site, the 260,000 s/f workplace relocates more than 2,000 employees from a long-established suburban campus to a vibrant, transit-rich downtown setting. The project embodies Sanofi’s global, human-centric workplace strategy with a hospitality-forward environment that prioritizes flexibility, wellbeing, and performance. Located in the heart of Morristown, the space supports sustainable commuting, provides immediate access to local amenities, and includes a public-facing destination restaurant, The Morris Proper, serving both employees and the broader community. Created as a “home away from home” that enables connection and diverse workstyles, this workplace successfully integrates sustainability, health, and long-term adaptability. M Station quickly exceeded expectations: onsite employee presence surpassed both pre-pandemic levels and projected occupancy, prompting a phased expansion from an initial two workplace floors to five. Sustained employee demand ultimately required the design and delivery of the full building.

Deal of the Year
75 Broadway – Biogen Global Headquarters (Submitted by JLL)

In March 2025, Biogen, MITIMCo and Blackstone/BioMed announced a landmark 15-year lease for approximately 580,000 s/f at 75 Broadway in Cambridge’s Kendall Sq., positioning Biogen as the first anchor tenant of MITIMCo’s 10-acre Kendall Common development. First established in Kendall Sq. in the 1980s, Biogen’s move to the new headquarters – timed with its 50^th anniversary in 2028 – consolidates its owned and leased facilities into a centralized hub uniting research, development, operations, and commercial teams under one roof. The deal not only reinforces Kendall Sq.’s status as a global biotechnology epicenter, often called the “most innovative square mile on the planet,” but also revitalizes the East Cambridge community, supports continued job creation, and sets a benchmark for large-scale headquarters consolidation strategies in the life sciences sector during a period of industry recalibration.

The New England Chapter of CoreNet Global represents the best and brightest in the region’s corporate real estate industry. Our Chapter’s 600+ members are passionate about advancing the organization’s mission to connect real estate professionals, end users and service providers to advance knowledge, promote personal excellence and add value to each individual and their respective enterprises. We are part of the non-profit association CoreNet Global, which represents nearly 10,000 executives in 50 countries with strategic responsibility for the real estate assets of large corporations.