NEWS
Karen Corrales, Sr Corporate Operations Director LATAM at JLL: "The first barrier women must break is the one in our own minds, understanding that we are enough."
March 9, 2026. San José, Costa Rica. In the context of International Women’s Day 2026, under the UN’s global theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL women and girls,” Costa Rica’s business ecosystem is examining the real impact of female leadership.
The urgency is clear: at the current pace, it would take 286 years to close global gaps in legal protections, a timeline the UN describes not as a projection, but as a “capitulation.”
Costa Rica, however, shows signs of progress. Within the companies attracted by
CINDE, women represent
46% of the total workforce, and in the past year
48.3% of new jobs were filled by women. Yet numerical parity is only the starting point. To explore the challenges at senior leadership levels,
Karen Corrales, Senior Corporate Operations Director LATAM / TS Mex Head at JLL, shares how from her role in
Work Dynamics she transforms operational excellence into a platform for systemic change.
CINDE: Karen, this year the UN calls us to action under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action.” How do you translate these concepts into the daily operations of a multinational company?
Karen Corrales: It’s striking that in 2026 we still need to talk about basic rights, but that remains our reality. In practice, it means the right to be heard and to access the same opportunities as men, without being judged for our appearance or boxed into roles simply because we are mothers or wives.
“Justice” ultimately depends on leadership. We are the ones responsible for ensuring policies don’t remain on paper, but are enforced and made visible across the entire organization.
CINDE: CINDE’s data shows that nearly half of new jobs in the sector are filled by women. Is this the definitive indicator of success?
Karen Corrales: It’s a positive trend, but insufficient if we don’t examine the quality of those roles. My priority is measuring leadership positions: making visible how many women are truly in strategic and decision-making roles.
Concrete data drives transparency and real change, preventing gender equity from becoming merely a “March conversation.”
CINDE: Looking at STEM graduations in 2024, we see that women represent only 22% in Technology, while they account for 75% in Health-related fields. How can companies help shift this trend while maintaining equity?
Karen Corrales: We must build
strategic partnerships with universities to develop technical
capabilities from the ground up.
At JLL, we aim to design experiences that remove barriers so female talent can thrive in STEM. Technology should also be an ally: my goal is to automate 80% of routine processes, allowing 100% of human time to focus on value-generating experiences.
CINDE: You’ve advanced to leading operations across Latin America. What was the most difficult obstacle you personally had to overcome?
Karen Corrales: I’ve faced biases and questions about my capabilities, but the first barrier I had to remove was the one in my own mind — recognizing that I am just as capable as anyone else and that I am enough as I am.
Sometimes our own internal patterns and biases prevent us from seeing our potential. Once you break that internal barrier, you can focus on dismantling the external ones — such as the care gap, which remains the most critical obstacle for professional women in Costa Rica.
CINDE: What distinguishes a “visible” leader from an “influential” one in a region as complex as Latin America?
Karen Corrales: Visibility puts you on the map, but influence changes the map for those who come after you.
An influential leader builds systems and frameworks that work even without their physical presence. My real impact isn’t attending every meeting, but ensuring that the processes I designed continue optimizing regional operations autonomously.
CINDE: Finally, what role does Costa Rica play in this global business narrative?
Karen Corrales: Costa Rica is not merely a satellite operation; it is a
strategic leadership platform for the world.
The success of women leading transformations here demonstrates that we have the talent to compete in the top tier of global business leadership. Today, showcasing local executive diversity has become a differentiating advantage for attracting high-quality foreign direct investment.
