MKDA names Allen as vice president of marketing and business development and Sanchirico as senior project manager

Corporate interiors firm MKDA has hired Cristina Allen as senior vice president of marketing and business development and Michael Sanchirico, LEED AP, as senior project manager. Allen, who has over 10 years of experience in marketing, corporate communications and business development, will work with the firm's partners to develop and implement a strategic marketing plan that strengthens the firm's distinction as a leader in the industry. "Cristy has earned a strong reputation in the industry for her sound approach to marketing companies large and small, as well as for her professional demeanor and exceptional client relations skills. We are thrilled that she has joined our firm, and we look forward to a longstanding partnership," said MKDA president Michael Kleinberg, who said that Allen will also focus on establishing and maintaining client relationships. Most recently, Allen was vice president in the real estate group at public relations firm Rubenstein Associates, where she managed a diverse roster of accounts that included clients from the architecture, interior design, brokerage, development and construction sectors. Prior to that, she was senior account executive at boutique public relations firm Publitas, where she developed and implemented strategies for clients within the real estate and travel and hospitality sectors. Allen has applied her skills to numerous real estate organizations, including Studley, Walter & Samuels, The Lansco Corp., Archstone-Smith, Prudential Douglas Elliman, R.A.L. Companies & Affiliates, HRH Construction and The Realty Foundation of New York, among many others. Allen's career began in Japan, where she developed and implemented corporate English language programs for c-suite executives at the country's top three semi-conductor manufacturers, Toshiba, Texas Instruments and Sony, as well as at other major corporations. In addition, she has held communications positions within the private wealth management groups at J.P. Morgan and Ruig Capital Management, as well as at non-profit institutions, including the NYU Child Study Center. "I am excited for the opportunity to combine my diverse marketing communications experience and interest in digital marketing platforms in order to strengthen MKDA's message and position in the marketplace, and to bring new business opportunities to the firm," said Allen, who is a member of Association of Real Estate Women (AREW) and CoreNet. Allen received her bachelor of arts with honors from University of Florida. Sanchirico, who has over 20 years of project management experience, will work with the firm's principals and designers to manage project teams and to ensure strict adherence to design specifications, budgets and time constraints throughout all project phases. "Michael joins MKDA equipped with a diverse range of project experience, which includes corporate interiors, trading floors, building repositioning, and IT and infrastructure," said Kleinberg. "We are pleased that he has joined MKDA, and we expect that he will be an asset to our firm and our clients." Most recently, Sanchirico was project executive and director of operations at Esposito Design Associates (EDA). Prior to that, Sanchirico was senior project manager at The Van Summern Group and project manager at Lancaster Associates. He has also worked at D'Amato Construction and Construction Services of Bristol. Sanchirico has worked with a handful of Fortune 500 companies and has managed office projects up to 300,000 s/f in size and trading floor projects consisting of over 100 traders. His diverse roster of clients have included Terex Corp., PepsiCo, Pitney Bowes Corporation, Genworth Financial, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, Ellington Management and Hyperion Software Corp., to name a few. On a national level, Sanchirico has managed the design and construction of new offices and office relocations on behalf of law firm Kaufman Borgeest & Ryan LLP. In addition, he recently managed renovations for major Continuing Care Retirement Communities owned by The Freshwater Group in Connecticut. Additional experience includes management of exterior revitalization projects, extensive lobby and base building upgrades, complex green material selections, and numerous Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) and Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) reviews. "I am pleased to have joined a design firm with a strong reputation in the industry, and I look forward to applying my skills to the firm's stable of corporate and landlord clients," said Sanchirico. Sanchirico received his AS in architecture from Capital Community College in West Hartford, Conn., and his BS in Architecture from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). MKDA is a leading corporate space planning and interior design firm with offices in New York City and Stamford, Conn. Since its inception in 1959, the firm has earned a reputation as one of New York's most respected and renowned interior design firms. Its success is largely due to its intimate knowledge of the real estate market and long-running experience working with landlords and brokers throughout New York. Clients have included Silverstein Properties, Vornado Realty Trust, Capstone, Westbrook, Durst Organization, Rockefeller Philanthropy, Eze Castle, Heineken, GE Monogram, Harvest Partners, AICPA, Prudential Douglas Elliman, Lowenstein Sandler, and Wachovia, among many others.