FEATURE
A STRONG FEMALE LEAD
“I’ve always wanted to mentor women
and help nurture them and give them
opportunities in this industry.”
GET TO
KNOW
KAREN
––
HOMETOWN:
New York City
HER EARLIEST SCENT
MEMORY:
“I remember picking green beans
with my sister in the gardens at
Les Agnels, a lavender producer
in the South of France, where my
father had brought us along on a
business trip.”
FAVORITE ‘FOODIE’ CITY:
“Singapore is awesome,
especially the food scene there.
They have these hawker centers,
where there are all of these little
mini-kitchens/food stalls and
each vendor specializes in one or
two dishes. And they even have
Michelin-stars! It’s like the only
place that has Michelin-rated
street food vendors.”
HER GO-TO KARATE MOVE(S):
“I’m working hard on my katas
(forms). Trying to perfect Chuan
Fa 1-3. I am also working on my
nunchuck form.”
10 | FRAGRANCENOTES.ORG | Issue 3, 2018
work with me, I looked for people that were
kind of similar to me, who had the same
kind of values and who really felt passionate
about the essential oils and the industry. I
always felt that if the raw talent was there,
they should be given the opportunity to
succeed.” She also enjoys getting to teach
and share her passion with others. “I like
to talk about the industry. I like to give
people opportunities to visit vendors and
go to the source and learn. For me, the best
way to learn this industry was really being
hands-on, going to see where the essential
oils are made all over the world, working
in our labs, actually working in the plant.”
She admits that these days, as her company
gets bigger, it’s getting harder and harder to
be cross-functional. “But, certainly, giving
people opportunities to meet with the people
who produce the essential oils and to travel
and see them made, I think that’s really
important.”
In addition to being a global citizen,
working well with others is critical to
Karen’s work. Currently, she leads Kerry’s
essential oils business with three of her
colleagues. Those who know her see her as
an empathetic, open-minded leader, who
approaches management with a humanistic
bent.
“I try to relate to people first as a person,
even in business, and that’s really important
to me,” she said. “My whole career, I
haven’t always been strict about layers of
management... We’re all people and we
spend a big percentage of our time at work.
So, it’s important to treat people well and
to try to relate to them, whether they’re
somebody in the plant, or the janitor, or your
boss, or your boss’ boss.”
THE FAMILY THAT TRAVELS
“I think my leadership style has just kind
TOGETHER…
of evolved over the past 25 years of my
“Our dirty little secret in my family was
career,” she said. “But I’ve always wanted
that I never took my kids to Disney Land
to mentor women and help nurture them
and give them opportunities in this industry.” or Disney World… but, instead they’ve
been all over Europe and Asia.”
She says she’s not much of a micromanager,
preferring to stay hands-off and give people
Karen’s work takes her all over the world
the opportunity to spread their wings and
and she’s all too thrilled to bring her family
go as far as they can go. “In the beginning
to the places she loves. Her husband John
of my career, when I was hiring people to
Rickshaw
adventures in
Ho Chi Minh
City, Vietnam