As Strategy Director and Leader for Gensler’s Global Retail Practice, Lara informs the design process through research, trend analysis, and her knowledge of business, marketing and consumer needs.

Lara is focused on how users engage with brands, helping to deliver an experience that considers the roles that brand, service, storytelling, experience and environments play in connecting with customers and employees. These insights are applied to a variety of projects, including retail, hospitality, entertainment, and workplace experiences, as well as largescale, mixed-use developments.

In an industry that’s constantly evolving, Lara has built a highly reputable position for herself as someone who understands the changing needs of her clients, challenging them to see beyond the now to the next. Leveraging a diverse education that spans psychology, advertising, marketing and cultural anthropology, she has honed her ability to translate complex global consumer trends into understandable, workable and profitable outcomes.

She has been recognized as as a Top Retail Influencer of 2022 by Rethink Retail and was named one of design:retail magazine’s 40 under 40 in 2017. Lara is considered a leading voice on the future of retail and is a sought-after speaker at influential retail industry events and with leading publications and national media.