Karen is the Director of International Procurement and Trade with the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment.
She is responsible for New Zealand's international commitments and engagements relating to government procurement. This includes leading on New Zealand's participation in the World Trade Organisation Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) and the OECD, supporting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade with the negotiation of government procurement commitments in free trade agreements, conducting cooperation/capability building activities with trade partners, and ensuring that New Zealand's government procurement and practice continues to be strongly aligned with internationally recognised best practice.
Karen led the negotiation of New Zealand’s accession to the GPA as well as the government procurement chapters in many of New Zealand’s free trade agreements. She led machinery of government changes that resulted in an expansion of the application of the procurement rules and was responsible for introducing the use of procurement as a lever to achieve social, environmental and cultural outcomes in New Zealand’s government procurement policy.
Karen holds a Juris Doctor from Canada and practiced law there for many years prior to coming to New Zealand. She enjoys tennis, golf, gardening, and travel.