Karen Dougherty Buchholz

Karen Dougherty Buchholz serves as Executive Vice President of Administration for Comcast Corporation. Karen has a wide array of corporate responsibilities, including corporate real estate, facilities, aviation, corporate services, business continuity, travel, security and sustainability.

Additionally, Karen is partnering with the Comcast Cable leadership team to build and launch Comcast’s “Lift Zones” – bringing her extensive operational and community experience to one of the company’s newest and most critical initiatives. Through these Lift Zones, the company will work with thousands of nonprofit partners and city leaders across the country to create safe places for under-resourced students to connect to the Internet for free and participate in distance learning.

During her more than 20-year tenure, Karen has led many facets of the organization. She was the executive in charge of the development of Comcast’s new Technology Center, a $1.5 billion, 60-story tower adjacent to Comcast’s corporate headquarters, the Comcast Center. Karen also previously oversaw the development of Comcast Center, a $750 million, 56-story tower from 2005 through 2008.

For close to a decade, Karen also led the company’s corporate Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion function. In partnership with key leaders across the business, Karen and her team launched and assembled the Joint Diversity Council, introduced Employee Resource Groups, and drove meaningful progress in supplier diversity, diverse programming, and community impact initiatives.

From 2000 to 2003, Karen established Comcast’s first corporate communications infrastructure, unifying communications for the entire family of Comcast companies. This included leading communications during many company acquisitions, including the company’s transformative acquisition of AT&T Broadband in 2001-2002.

Prior to Comcast, in 1997, then-Mayor Edward G. Rendell appointed Karen as President of Philadelphia 2000, the organization that brought the 2000 Republican National Convention to Philadelphia and served as the City’s official Host Committee. The Convention attracted 50,000 visitors and won national and international media attention. Immediate economic benefits exceeded $300 million.

Karen served as Sales Executive for Comcast Spectacor from 1993 to 1997 to develop corporate sponsorships for what is now called the Wells Fargo Center, a 20,000-seat arena and home to the Comcast-owned Philadelphia Flyers and the Philadelphia 76ers. In 1991, Karen led the development of the Pyramid Club at the top of the Mellon Bank Center for Club Corporation of America. Karen was the club’s Membership Director and sole corporate representative in Philadelphia for Club Corporation of America.

Karen served as Special Assistant to State Treasurer Barbara Hafer during her 1990 gubernatorial bid. From 1988-1990, Karen was Special Assistant to United States Senator John Heinz in Washington, D.C.

Karen received her M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. She is a 1988 graduate of Dickinson College and the Dickinson Center for European Studies in Bologna, Italy.

Karen serves on WSFS Financial Corporation and Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB Board of Directors. She also serves on the Boards of civic and charitable organizations, including: Board of Trustees, Drexel University; Global Board of Directors, Women in Cable Telecommunications; and Board of Directors, Museum of the American Revolution.

Karen has received numerous awards, including: 2018 Police Athletic League of Philadelphia’s PAL Award; 2016 Philadelphia Magazine's Trailblazer Award; 2014 United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey Women’s Initiative Award; 2012 Multichannel News Wonder Women Award; 2009 Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business Award; and 2008 American Heart Association “Go Red for Women” Woman of Heart Award.