News
January 20, 2025 | London, United Kingdom. We are pleased to announce the appointment of Karen Downes as Client Leader, based in London. With more than two decades of experience working at the intersection of executive leadership, organizational transformation, and breakthrough performance, Karen joins JMW to lead strategic relationships with some of the firm’s most senior clients.
As a Client Leader, Karen will be accountable for the end-to-end client experience—from designing high-impact engagements to ensuring measurable outcomes and sustained results. She will work in close partnership with senior executives and their teams to shape strategy, align leadership, and deliver transformative impact. In this role, Karen will also support the success of JMW’s Delivery Leaders to ensure seamless execution and exceptional client satisfaction.
Karen brings a rich global background advising C-suite leaders across industries, including energy, infrastructure, finance, consumer goods, and public sector. She is known for her ability to help executive teams navigate complexity, unlock new levels of performance, and build cultures that support bold, purpose-driven leadership. Her strength lies in translating aspiration into execution—turning big ideas into aligned, actionable strategies.
In addition to her work with JMW, Karen is the Founder and CEO of The Flourish Initiative, an organization focused on creating conscious cultures through leadership development, values-based transformation, and personal growth. She is also the co-founder of FemmeQ, a global movement focused on integrating feminine intelligence into leadership—an approach that informs her work on equity, inclusion, and system change in modern organizations.
Throughout her career, Karen has served as a trusted partner to global business leaders, public figures, and impact-driven organizations. Her approach blends commercial acumen with deep insight into human systems, enabling the kind of mindset and behavioral shifts that are required for real, lasting change.
Karen is joining JMW at a time of growth and expansion across Europe and North America, as the firm continues to help organizations close the gap between strategy and execution through leadership performance.
