London Regional Head of Talent
Karen joined the NHS Leadership Academy in 2019. Here, as the Talent regional programme lead, she set up the first London Regional Talent Board and Aspire Together Executive Director Talent Pool. During the COVID-19 first wave, she established the London Deployment hub, deploying workforce to the London Nightingale, Trusts and social care and redeploying returning/retired workforce. While supporting the London COVID-19 Testing cell, she managed the London lateral flow test early and wider London role out.
As Workforce Lead supporting the London Breast Screening Recovery cell, Karen oversaw the development of a pan-London Breast Screening Workforce strategy to enable recovery and help address screening backlogs.
Before working in the NHS, Karen worked for the Forensic Science Service, specialising in DNA and Fibres. She was the first Senior Assistant to make the leap from laboratory to Service Delivery Team Leader. She was also managing large national multi-disciplinary teams over 7 Laboratories supporting police forces and international law enforcement.
Karen joined the London Deanery in 2012 working in Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education, and then as the Head of National Recruitment; before taking on a role overseeing Doctors in Difficulty, Innovation and Transformation programmes and Stakeholder Engagement.
Karen is also a trained coach, mentor and action learning set facilitator. Throughout all her roles, she has always had a passion for talent management, leadership and investing in people to fulfil their potential.