Karen is responsible for the company’s corporate public relations, government relations, employee communications and multi-media functions, as well as executive, change management, crisis and investor communications.
She first joined the company when it was Thermo Electron Corporation and spent nearly 16 years in corporate communications and investor relations positions of increasing responsibility. In 1997, she was named Director of Corporate Communications, leading the function for the parent company and its 22 public subsidiaries. She developed and executed the communications strategy during the major reorganization in 2000 that re-focused the company and created a foundation for future growth.
In 2001, Karen left the company for five years to run a communications consultancy, serving a number of public-company clients, including Thermo Electron. She rejoined in her current role in 2006, at the time of the merger that created Thermo Fisher Scientific, and built the corporate communications function. In October 2020, Karen became Retiring Vice President, Corporate Communications.
Karen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from Ohio University and began her career in advertising and public relations agencies in the Midwest. She is a member of the International Association of Business Communicators and the Communications 50, a group of communications leaders from major companies.