About Karina Forbes Bohn
Karina Forbes Bohn has built a twenty-five year career as a sports executive through leadership roles in sports and marketing, earning the respect of her peers for her dedication and passion.
Most recently at the Global Sport Institute at Arizona State University, Karina played a key role in creating this one-of-its kind sport research hub from the ground up. As Chief Operating Officer, she guided the organization throughout its launch phase, creating business plans, establishing core competencies and launching key initiatives that would form the institute's foundational work.
With the Arizona Diamondbacks, Karina led the marketing efforts from 2006 - 2016, as the marketing team drove more than $100 million in single game ticket sales . She was also a key player in promoting the spotlight events such as the 2007 and 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks Postseason and the 2011 MLB All-Star Game. Prior to the D-backs, Karina also had the opportunity to work in sports sponsorship activation on both the agency and the client sides.
Throughout her career, Karina has had the privilege of working alongside executives whose thought leadership touches the realms of business transformation, negotiation, racial equity and beyond.
Karina is originally from the Midwest where she played several sports as a youth. She attended the University of Illinois where she was a sports reporter on her college radio station and the PA announcer for the women's basketball team while earning a Bachelor's Degree in Broadcast Journalism. After college, she moved to Arizona, interning at the Arizona Fall league while earning a Master of Mass Communications at Arizona State University. She later earned an MBA with an emphasis in Sports Business from the W. P. Carey School of Business at ASU, where she was President of the MBA Association.
As a long-time working mom with two active teenagers, for many years Karina aspired to be the typical "superwoman," combining long hours at the office with the mental load of juggling family and personal obligations.
In August of 2022, she joined the "great resignation," leaving her job at Arizona State University in an intentional move to recapture her own attention. Karina's goal is to spend each day supporting the people, projects and organizations that matter to her most. This has included getting involved with her local school district, traveling with her daughter's club soccer team, volunteering with local political campaigns and teaching undergraduate marketing at a local university.