What they say
"Karen is a powerful and insightful coach that I could, at the same time, relate to. I really appreciate her authenticity and her personality, all while conveying the theory and methods.
- Carla Flosky, Mechanical Design Engineer.
Karen practices what she preaches with empathy and to see this from someone in a leadership position is refreshing.
- Katelyn Gilmour PhD, Clinical Scientist
Karen herself is nothing short of an inspiration for women doing their best to thrive in the corporate world.
-Marisa Mason, Marketing Strategist
Dr Karen Jones is a scientist, marketing leader, coach and trainer who has enabled consistent delivery of $500-$1Bn annual revenues and associated growth targets across 4 major divisions within the world’s largest STEM company - Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Her leadership philosophy to success is simple: look after your people, and they will take care of the rest. Her focus on wellbeing as a foundation of high team performance has meant that she never had to struggle to attract talent, and she could retain great people despite competitive pressures. Her annual employee wellbeing surveys consistently exceeded 90%.
She has experienced first hand how STEM companies’ consistent focus on data, finance and process over people, coupled to their inherent systemic gender bias, results in burnout, demotivation and female leader talent drain in highly competitive fields. She is on a mission to narrow the resultant leadership gender imbalance by supporting women to claim their rightful place and income without sacrificing their health, happiness or authenticity.
Multi-award winner for leadership including President’s Club (awarded to < 1% of company)
Consistent delivery of revenue and growth targets in healthcare diagnostics, life sciences and pharmaceutical development markets
Founded the first female group coaching initiative in the company, enabling over 280 women to overcome stress and career stagnation
Founder of BioEngagement, supporting SMEs to commercialise biotech innovations
Mum of 2 teenage women, trainer of 1 unruly dog
25+ year yoga and mindfulness devotee
Believer in joy, connection, freedom as guiding principles
ICF and One of Many - accredited coach and trainer
Karen's Journey
I spent 25 years leading in STEM companies. What I didn’t realise was that I was slowly losing myself in the process.
I’ve built teams. Delivered multi-million-dollar revenue.
Navigated the politics, complexity, and pace of global diagnostics businesses. And I’ve spent years being the safe pair of hands.
But behind the results and responsibility, there was a quiet truth I didn’t want to admit: I had become so good at meeting everyone else’s expectations… that I couldn’t hear my own anymore.
The late nights. The stacked weekends. The constant emotional labour. The pressure to perform at a higher and higher level without ever asking for anything back.
It looked like success. But it felt like self-abandonment. Something had to change — and eventually, it did.
Who would I be without the title? Without the responsibility? Without being “the one who knows how to fix it”? The answer surprised me.
When I stepped away, I didn’t lose myself. I found the parts I’d left behind.
Why I Built Align Change Thrive
I realised something simple but life-changing:
Women in STEM don’t need another leadership course. They need a reclamation. A reclamation of their voice. Their boundaries. Their ambition. Their joy. Their sense of what leadership could feel like when they’re not sacrificing themselves to hold everything in place.
And I knew — from experience, not theory — that I could guide them through that transformation.
So I created Align Change Thrive, a coaching experience designed specifically for mid-level women in STEM who are ready to stop surviving and start leading with clarity, presence, and personal power.
My Approach
Warm, direct, evidence-based. Deeply human.
I blend:
• 25 years of commercial STEM leadership experience.
• Behavioural and mindset coaching expertise.
• Inclusive leadership principles.
• Trauma-informed approaches.
• Psychological safety, boundaries, and nervous-system awareness.
• Real-world tools that work on Monday morning at 9am, not just in theory.
I don’t do superficial fixes, “empowerment” posters or subscribe to the “push harder” culture. I work at the level where self-doubt becomes self-trust; exhaustion becomes clarity and invisibility becomes impact.
What I Believe
Leadership shouldn’t cost you your health. Ambition shouldn’t require armour. Visibility shouldn’t feel like a threat.
Women shouldn’t have to choose between their wellbeing and their career.
Leadership isn’t about becoming more. It’s about becoming you, fully and unapologetically.
That’s the journey we take together.
Who I Work With
I support mid-level women in STEM organisations who:
• Deliver results but feel unseen.
• Carry too much and rest too little.
• Are exhausted by the emotional labour no one acknowledges.
• Feel they’re meant for more but can’t yet articulate what “more” looks like.
• Want to lead with impact, integrity, and a life that still feels like theirs.
They’re not broken, failing or not “not enough.” They’re simply standing at the edge of their next chapter, ready to step in without losing themselves.
What You Can Expect From Me
I will see you — even when you’re used to being invisible.
I will challenge you — with warmth, not pressure.
I will help you find your voice — the one you put down years ago.
I will hold a space where ambition and wellbeing can finally coexist.
And I will walk beside you until you trust yourself again.
This isn’t coaching for “high performers.” This is coaching for women who are ready to stop surviving leadership
and start owning it.
If you’re ready to lead on your terms, I’m here.
Let’s explore what your next chapter could be and what it would feel like to lead without losing yourself along the way.
FAQS
What is Align Change Thrive all about?
ACT is all about helping mid-level female managers to awaken to what is possible for them and claim the role, impact and income they deserve...without the sacrifice. Having been there and got the T-shirt (and mug), I know what over-achieving, hard work and long hours delivers after a while: more hard work, long hours with a nice dollop of mental decline. Possibly a side-order of relationship breakdown. Seriously, let's stop this and get smart about where we want to go and get there without the burnout and sacrifice.
How does Align Change Thrive do all that?
Through freebies like:
Escape the Self Saboteur Guide
The First 90 Days Guide
14 Steps To Major Career Transition
The Good Meetings Reference
Leaders Behaving Badly Checklist
Cheat Your Way to Awesome Presentation Skills
Or great articles like:
Today I Sucked Soup Out of My Keyboard
My Dream Croft in Shetland
My Chronic Visibility Problem
I Think I'm Being Judged by Anecdote
Too Much Non-Promotable Work?
What is That on Your Back? Is it…A MONKEY??
Or brilliant offerings like:
The UPLIFT Corporate Women's Group Coaching Program
The Success Without Sacrifice Mini-Course
Newbie Women People Leader Mastermind
And of course, the ACT Women at Work email newsletter
I'm not a leader...is this for me?
Am I a leader if I don't have the title? If you’re a mid-level female manager in a large organization, feeling stuck, unmotivated, and juggling life's responsibilities (like kids, community, parents), then yes—you are a leader. Your workplace might not label you as one, but let’s be honest—many of us have settled for less, even though deep down we know we're destined for more, with plenty of untapped potential. Imagine unlocking that with more ease and less struggle. Sounds familiar? Then this is for you.
Is this a series of webinars with an accreditation for afterwards?
Short answer: NO.
Long answer: NOOOOOOOOOO.
Seriously; I provide the tools, map and guide to help you move from your current state of work/life dissatisfaction, to one where you’re confidently in charge of your direction, vision and purpose, whilst being equipped with a new host of approaches to get you there without sacrifice.
Want to roll around laughing on the sofa with your kids, without the creeping feeling that you must stop soon and clear the dishes or finish that email?
How about replacing the habit of “finish work then start another one” after the laptop is closed to one when you flow and stay present? Together, we’ll create that reality.
This process is deeply collaborative—crafted by your intentions with options for a safe space to talk, bucket loads of support, expert guidance, gentle accountability and warm encouragement.
What time committment is needed? I don't have much time...
Hey, I’ve been in your shoes—I get it. Adding one more thing feels IMPOSSIBLE. But guess what? It’s totally doable. If you have got used to putting yourself so far down the list that the washing machine filter gets more care and attention than you, then it's time for a change. The fact that you’re even here means your moment has arrived. You need it, you deserve it.
I have created an online course option, so you can learn the process at your own pace, or you have the option to add in the group coaching sessions (2 optional times per week), where you’ll get the added experience of accountability, friendship and deeper support. You can choose what works best for you.
How much does it cost?
There are different cost options, depending on whether you choose to embark on the online-only course, or online course + group coaching or my top-tier offer of online course + group coaching + 1:1 coaching. Just book a brief call and let’s talk about what would work for you.
