Today, we bring you the sixth installment of our seven-part Power Women series profiling the 60 most influential women in LA commercial real estate (see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5). Then join Bisnow and partner Allen Matkins tomorrow night for a cocktail awards reception to honor them at the Hotel Casa del Mar, 6-8pm.

Susan Rorison
COO, NewMark Merrill

Susan Rorison oversees all of Newmark Merrill's operations, which include the management, acquisition and development of 10M SF of retail properties throughout California, Colorado and Illinois. She joined the firm last year, bringing over 25 years of institutional asset management and investment advisory experience, as well as development and redevelopment know-how in the retail, multifamily and office sectors. With a BA in mathematics from Southern Illinois University and an MBA from USC, she began her career at Prudential Real Estate Investors and later held positions with Burnham Pacific Properties, MacFarlane Partners, Centro-Watt and Shapell Industries. "Shopping centers drew me to real estate," she says. “It's a combination of everything I enjoy, from fashion to psychology to psychographics,” she says. Her passion is redevelopment; unlocking hidden value and making projects attractive and safe for shoppers s particularly fulfilling when it happens in underserved communities. Susan mentors young executives and advises: “Be courageous; have conviction; cultivate genuine, long-term relationships; and never stray from your values.” Susan is married (husband Cord, above) with two boys, and her hobbies include gardening, reading mystery novels and traveling.