Karen brings expertise in scenario analysis and strategic decision making particularly for building economic resilience. She also has extensive experience working with companies on data driven thought leadership initiatives. Her projects include analyzing impacts of tax policies, assessing the impact of new technologies such as 5G, analyzing the economic resilience of cities, developing indices to benchmark and track the future readiness of cities, developing metrics to assess corporate data literacy, working with companies to assess their economic contribution to countries and states. Her project work often involves bringing together many different stakeholders both internal and external to develop the optimal solutions for her clients. Prior to joining S&P Global, Karen was a Senior Economist at the World Economic Forum for their Risk Response Network team and a Senior Research Fellow at Wharton's Risk Management and Decision Process Center. She was also a member on the Zurich Alliance Measuring Flood Resilience Working Group.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Houghton College, and a MA and Ph.D. in economics from Temple University. Her research has been published in The Journal of International Trade and Economics, Journal of Business Ethics, Development Policy Review, Natural Hazards & Earth System Sciences as well as in books and citied in the press.