Specialisms
I specialise in the following areas:
- Finance Support
- Governance
- LGR Hub
Karen has a 30-year career that includes senior roles in local and central government as well as consultancy. She spent ten years in economic consultancy with DTZ Pieda, where she played a key role in establishing the firm’s management consultancy work. During this time, she led staffing and management reviews for government, agencies, and the private sector; prepared business cases for new investment in both capital and services; and led the company’s work with Lottery bodies.
Karen later joined Audit Scotland, where she led national performance audits on youth justice, housing, economic development, and higher education. She presented findings and recommendations to the Parliamentary Audit Committee before leaving to establish her own consultancy firm. There, she developed and implemented the Golden Thread Healthcheck—a tool designed to support councils with business planning and performance reporting, delivered via SOLACE.
She was subsequently appointed Deputy Director at the Scottish Funding Council, leading all capital expenditure across 42 further education colleges and 19 universities. Karen led the SFC’s submission for the comprehensive spending review, securing capital funding during a period of fiscal reduction. She was tasked with implementing the government’s new policy approach to capital delivery (similar to PFI) and successfully secured funding for three new college builds.
After moving to France for four years due to her husband’s job, Karen returned to Suffolk in 2016. She initially managed delivery of the Suffolk Planning and Infrastructure Framework and later led Suffolk Growth, transforming it from a group of local authorities into a wider public sector partnership driving the cross-cutting growth agenda and supporting collaborative action. Karen regularly briefed chief executives, leaders, and senior management on key issues, opportunities, and risks. Building on her extensive partnership experience, she goes beyond simply facilitating conversations—she actively encourages colleagues to think differently, voice challenges, and propose actionable solutions.
In 2023, Karen established OPR Consulting to support clients with operational, management, and governance reviews aimed at improving both delivery and performance. She quickly builds trust and credibility with clients, ensuring that recommendations are backed by evidence to demonstrate the need for change.
In addition to her consultancy work, Karen serves as a governor at West Suffolk College (Chair of Audit and Risk Management Committee) and was appointed to the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Joint Audit Committee in 2024.
Key Strengths/Area of Expertise
- Delivery of operational, management, staffing and governance reviews, focused on extensive quantitative and qualitative analysis to evidence a case for change
- Development of business cases, including operational structures and financial forecasts, for delivering new services or investment in assets
- Undertake performance audits, linking delivery to stated objectives and reporting results in context, and against stated indicators – essentially helping clients to demonstrate they have done what they said they would do.
- Extensive experience of both public and private sector, skilled at partnership working, and understanding different audiences, and positioning recommendations to build ensure consensus
Professional Qualifications
- Association of Chartered & Certified Accountants (ACCA), CDipAF (2000)
- London School of Economics, MSc. Urban & Regional Planning (1992)
- University of Southern California, BA Political Science (1990)
Recent courses
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- Groundwork Trust, Carbon Literacy Course (Certified) (2023)
- Association of Colleges – Chair’s Development Programme (2022)
- University of Cambridge, Judge Business School-Steering Complex Projects (2021)
- Alliance Francaise – French language programme (B1 level) (2016)
Testimonials/Case Studies:
In 2024 Karen undertook a review of our Finance Team and how it fitted within the charity. I was impressed from the first time I spoke with her. An active listener she quickly understood our brief. Following a comprehensive paper review Karen interviewed an apprehensive team and soon gained their trust such that she was able to fully grasp the issues we were facing. Her interviews with trustees helpfully covered wide ground. Karen was a delight to work with, her gentle but forensic approach resulting in a final report which was comprehensive and informative. Karen’s work enabled the charity to put measures in place which have secured a more robust set of practices making it more effective, efficient and sustainable.
Brenda Horner Chair of Trustees Leeway
Karen worked with the County Council to support the production of our Get Britain Working Local Plan providing a suite of evidence and information to help identify the key causes and drivers of economic inactivity in Suffolk. The work that OPR consultancy produced included insightful primary research and an in-depth mapping of current activity. Karen brought her extensive experience as well as her deep understanding of the local area to bear to provide SCC with a strong credible basis for the forming of our plan.
Michael Gray, Head of Skills, Suffolk County Council
Karen, through OPR Consulting, has worked with the Town Council on a range of transformation projects. Karen has provided the council with an integrated approach from inception to completion on some unique and challenging projects and her robust approach has ensured successful delivery. Karen has supported both Councillors and Officers in looking at service delivery and management structures and is a trusted consultant who would be recommended.
Sarah Foote, Town Clerk, Lowestoft Town Council
Transport East commissioned OPR to complete a Strategic Outline Case for our proposal to government to secure statutory status. OPR immediately understood the brief, adding value and expertise related to an expert “bigger picture” understanding of the economy, and confidentially engaged with senior leaders across regional and national bodies to secure the qualitative research required to formulate the case. OPR’s agile approach through close working with the client enabled the assignment to evolve during the period of major change as a new government came in. As a result, the SOC is based on solid evidence and shaped to fit the new needs of the client in the context of the rapidly changing government landscape. I would thoroughly recommend OPR.
Andrew Summers, Chief Executive, Transport East
Relevant Sector Knowledge
- Comprehensive understanding of the economy of the East of England.
- Worked across a range of services (economic development, regeneration, planning, housing, procurement)