Karen Carolonza is a proven strategic public relations and communications professional with 15 years of global experience in the healthcare, chemical and TV news industries. Karen most recent corporate position was director of worldwide public relations at BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company and was responsible for the creation of the first-ever global public relations department for the company. She and her team developed and implemented public relations and advocacy programs supporting key businesses, including diabetes, HIV/AIDS, TB, influenza, healthcare-associated infections, ophthalmology, healthcare worker/patient safety, and other global health issues.

Prior to joining BD, Karen was at the Pharmacia Corporation and was responsible for public relations programs supporting both the hospital products and oncology businesses. These therapeutic areas include key prescription products such as the antibiotic, ZYVOX®, the anti-cancer drug, CAMPTOSAR®, and anti-arthritis drug, CELEBREX®.

Karen also served in communications roles at DuPont Pharmaceuticals as part of the launch team for the first, once-daily HIV medicine, SUSTIVA®. She has additional background in corporate and agency public relations, including Exxon Chemical Company coordinating both community relations and employee communications programs, and Ruder Finn Public Relations where she was responsible for media relations in the Washington, DC area. Karen spent the first part of her career as an NBC affiliate television news reporter in the Midwest and East Coast. Currently, Karen is on the Board of the Lakeland Hills YMCA serving on the Marketing Promotions Committee. She is a member of the ExLPharma Steering Committee and has chaired its Annual PR & Communications Summit for three years.