As President of Global Construction, Karen is responsible for the profitability, growth and strategic direction of CNA’s Construction business unit. She joined CNA’s Construction team in 2019 as Head of Large & Complex Construction, where she led underwriting and service strategies to provide risk management solutions for CNA Contractors and Owners.

Karen joined CNA from Zurich North America where she led the Large Construction customer segments. Karen started her insurance career at her family’s independent agency in Texas and then grew her industry and management experience at AIG before joining Zurich.

She earned her MBA in Risk Management from the University of North Texas, and her Bachelor of Science in Economics from Texas A&M University. She holds the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS) professional designations.

A resident of West Des Moines, Iowa, Karen stays active in the construction industry through affiliations with Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and Construction Users Round Table (CURT).  Karen currently serves on the Board of Directors for MATHCOUNTS Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides engaging math programs to U.S. middle school students of all ability levels to build confidence and improve attitudes about math and problem solving. She previously served on the Board of Directors for the Texas A&M Women Former Students’ Network, where she was a founding member.