Karen has over 25 years’ experience of working at a senior level within large, complex organisations across the private, not-for-profit and public sectors in the sport, leisure and regeneration industry. She has held a range of senior strategic leadership roles in London and the South East, including Sport England, local authorities, London Development Agency and the London Legacy Development Company where she was the Head of Sport and Health. 

She has directed the design, build, funding and operational delivery of a number of large new leisure developments including the London Aquatics Centre. 

She is a Non Executive Board member of Barts Health. 

Karen recently established her own leisure consultancy and continues to develop a range of both community and business ventures with high profile clients including delivering health and wellbeing programmes for Barry Mcguigan and Gold Challenge.

Through her end to end involvement from bid stage to the legacy of the London 2012 Games, Karen has been key to the design and delivery of the regeneration of East London. She chaired the 2014 World Diving Series Board, was a board member of the 2014 NEC Wheelchair Tennis, 2016 European Swimming, 2015 European Hockey and 2016 UCI World Track cycling championships.

Other previous board roles include; Vice Chair of Pro Active South London, Board member of East London Sports Partnership and Creating Leisure Limited for the Parkwood Leisure contracts in Southend and Barnstable.

As a former Board member for the 6 Growth Boroughs “Supporting Healthier Children Programme” Karen developed a particular passion in using regeneration momentum to improve health outcomes for the residents of London.