Karen Carr has been appointed Client Services Director of CyberShelter, a company specializing in offering GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations) and IT security audits.
For the last 30 years Karen was part of the management team at intu Metrocentre, Europe’s largest retail and leisure destination. The award-winning marketing manager and well-known regional businesswoman was promoted to a regional marketing director role that saw her overseeing four major intu centres: Metrocentre, Eldon Square, Manchester’s Trafford Centre and Braehead in Glasgow.
Karen’s career started 40 years ago, working on the special events team at Newcastle City Council, where she helped plan Newcastle’s first ever Tall Ships Race, the city’s Nine Hundreth birthday celebrations, and organized The Tyneside Summer Exhibition.
The influential marketer decided that it was time for a change when her brother-in-law, now business partner Martin, approached her to help market CyberShelter.
Karen explains:
“After an enormous amount of time in the world of retail and leisure I wanted a new challenge and I was already knowledgeable about the new GDPR law from a client’s perspective.
“The new GDPR law is being introduced not to make things more difficult, rather to help ensure a better and safer future in the world of electronic communications for us all. Protected data that is used more effectively and efficiently is both beneficial for the consumer and business, with better engagement from clients/customers who want to talk to you and be part of your world, because it was their choice.
“Martin has worked in the field of IT for over 35 years, as a technical director and business owner, and has always had a special interest in IT security. He had built the infrastructure of CyberShelter and launched the company in 2017, but really needed to shout about it, hence his approach to me!”
CyberShelter MD and business partner Martin commented:
“In the case of Karen coming on board, it’s been about matching talent with experience. Karen brings such a wealth of knowledge to the company from her varied marketing and management career to date. Karen is a natural born leader, but is also a great team player and an inspirational person to have around.”
In her spare time, Karen enjoys keeping fit and is a keen swimmer. She and husband Tom spend holidays in Spain, and she is currently trying to learn Spanish –so far she has mastered how to order food and drink, and more importantly, how to ask for her shoe size!