Karen Simons holds a Master in Business Administration (MBA) with Finance and Strategic Planning from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Prior to attaining her MBA, she earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mechanical Engineering from the Sibley School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.

Karen is an experienced strategy, operations, and relationship professional. She worked in the professional world of management consulting, and project management, domestically and internationally, while based in New York and Washington, DC. Karen has utilized logic, problem-solving and interpersonal skills to get things done in a variety of industries, including the communications, energy, financial services, manufacturing, and real estate, where finance is paramount to client success. In addition to these endeavors, she is an independent sales representative for a luxury women’s clothing line.

Client Focus: Karen approaches her work with clients as she has in all her previous client-based endeavors; by building trust and developing relationships through listening, evaluating, and strategizing each individual situation. As a former consultant, where meticulous listening and developing an actionable plan are essential for success in client matters, she seeks to harness these skills in the financial planning world to make a difference for clients in creating a viable, desired future.

Current Update: Karen continues her Yeske Buie journey towards earning her CFP.  She just completed her Estate Planning class with Elissa Buie as her professor – who better to learn from! Her summer travel included two FPA conferences in the San Francisco area, the Yeske Buie retreat in Boulder, Colorado, Santa Monica and New Jersey. As summer winds down, she continues to spend time with family and friends. Following the retreat in Boulder, Karen explored the Denver restaurant and entertainment scene with her daughter, who joined her from Los Angeles.