Karen Hester

Karen has a remarkable story that illustrates how determination and hard work really can lead to great things. Karen joined Adnams in 1988 as a part-time cleaner and with a background in Army logistics and transport, her expertise in operational management was soon spotted. Having progressed in logistics, procurement and transport, Karen became Operations Director in 2007. In 2008 Karen won the title of East of England Business Woman of the Year and in 2013 won the CBI First Women Business of the Year title in recognition of Adnams’ success in supporting women employees to reach their full potential.

Karen is also a Magistrate and joined the Adnams Board in 2015. In October 2015, Karen was awarded an honorary doctorate by University Campus Suffolk (UCS).

Karen also works with other local organisations as a Non-Executive Director.