Karen Usher

Karen Usher is the Founder and Chairman of TPO, Inc. She leads the firm’s strategic planning efforts and is practice leader for TPO’s compensation, executive performance, and succession planning services.
Karen combines change management, HR leadership and entrepreneurship, having founded her first of three companies in 1981. Her unique strength is working with chief executives to successfully blend their natural, deep-seated drive with the rigors of running successful businesses. Karen believes that “helping to change and grow companies by growing and developing the workforce and the leadership team is the hardest work any business ever undertakes.”

Karen has worked with hundreds of executive teams to improve their leadership skills and achieve their business goals through the people they manage and employ. She has supported leadership teams in formulating people strategies at companies such as Futron Corporation and IEEE. She’s worked to create successful company sales at organizations including Trusted Information Systems, OTG Software, The Richards Corporation, and Fieldston. And, where mission can be achieved only through the successful and united efforts of people, she has helped organizations—such as The Wilderness Society, Friends of the Earth and the National Association for Music Education—touch thousands of lives.

Karen has a B.A. from Dartmouth College.