A genuine style insider, Karen has years of experience in merchandising, marketing and public relations. As President & CEO of the Accessories Council, a non-profit national advocacy group, she represents nearly 320 dynamic companies in the fashion footwear, accessory and jewelry industry. Beyond current members, Karen works with hundreds of brands, retailers and industry support executives. Interacting mainly with C-level executives, she is charged with being a voice for the industry and leading efforts to assist members with sales and awareness. Her position gives her a unique perspective to the industry and as a business partner vs client, gets a realistic view of the opportunities and challenges these companies face. In this active role, she sees trends, hears concerns and helps identify opportunities. At the Accessories Council, Karen oversees event production of industry-related panel discussions and fundraising galas. She advocates for policy positively affecting the accessories industry and serves to partner member companies to promote the industry. Most notoriously, she runs the esteemed ACE Awards, one of the fashion industries leading event. She founded many other foundation events at the Council including the Hall of Fame awards, Product Design Awards, BABE women’s networking event and Retail/Wholesale meet days to name a few. Karen started her career in the executive training program at Macy’s, and first took a position in their jewelry-buying department. She later joined QVC where, among her post as director of event marketing, she was also director of accessories, footwear and intimate apparel, senior buyer of accessories, footwear and intimate apparel and a buyer and assistant buyer in beauty and fashion. She launched the Event Marketing division which created events as “Shoes on Sale” and “Red Carpet Weekends”. Karen is an active consultant and has lent her keen perception of the fashion retail industry for a variety of companies including QVC, EVINE, FAME Entertainment, Jack Rogers, Anomaly, ill.i and the Council for Leather Exports of India to name a few. Karen is an EMMY award winning executive producer of “Avec Eric,” a PBS broadcasted television show featuring star chef Eric Ripert that was named Outstanding Culinary Program in 2010. She has been named as one of Philadelphia’s Most Fashionable Women 2012, Main Line Today’s Power Women List in 2013, 2016 Accessories Council ACE Award Winner and 2017 Mann Foundation Leading Lady Honoree. Karen is a graduate of Susquehanna University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Theater Arts. She is currently a Wharton Fellow. Her professional affiliations include: Fashion Service Network Board of Directors, Auction Committee for Race to Erase MS, Committee member for the Bag Ladies Lunch and a member of the Fashion Group International.

Karen Giberson

President & CEO
The Accessories Council