Karen Masterson - Biography
Karen Masterson
Marketing and Communications
Director
Karen has been with Working Links from the
beginning, firstly on secondment to the original bid writing team
and then producing our marketing plans and strategies.
After working as a civil servant for 27 years, Karen decided it was
time for a change. Working Links was different, new and exciting.
And she felt that it would be the perfect move to give her an
opportunity to utilise her skills in a more dynamic way, as well as
allowing her to be part of the creation of a new organisation.
Before this, she spent 23 years with Jobcentre
Plus working with unemployed jobseekers either directly on the
frontline, or through the marketing and communications team,
working on both the New Deal and Jobseeker’s Allowance project
teams. As well as having over 30 years experience in the
industry, Karen is a professionally qualified marketing person
with 20 years marketing knowledge and experience, including a two
year secondment with Yorkshire Television.
One of the greatest successes she has been
part of was during the creation of Working Links. A team of less
than 20 successfully won the initial Employment Zone bids, set up
the company and went live all in eight weeks. Karen also played a
big part in our first ever welfare to work conference. She wrote
the speech, planned the presentation, produced the DVD, negotiated
all costs and somehow managed to have enough energy left over to
actually deliver the conference!
Karen was born in Leeds and grew up in
Wakefield. When not spending time with her family, she fights the
ageing process with visits to the gym and spa.