Speakers

Karima is a passionate and strategic people leader with over 25 years’ experience across recruitment, learning, apprenticeships and skills development. Her career spans aviation, construction and utilities, with more than 15 years focused on employability, inclusive employment and widening access to skills. Currently, Karima leads the organisation’s strategy for attraction, recruitment, early careers, skills development, learning and inclusion. She has shaped and delivered Thames Water’s Skills Strategy, strengthened the company’s approach to social and economic inclusion and built high‑impact partnerships with education providers, communities, government and industry bodies. Deeply committed to improving socio‑economic diversity, tackling in‑work poverty and expanding access to skills, all critical to the business imperative of bridging the skills gap and building sustainable talent pipelines. Her experience includes major national infrastructure programmes such as Heathrow Terminal 5, as well as securing government‑funded programmes to widen access and support local economic growth. She currently holds several external leadership and advisory roles, including: • Chair, West London Green Skills Employer Board • Co‑Chair, GLA Hiring and Skills Group • Member, British Chambers of Commerce Employment & Skills Expert Panel • Member, Interim Construction & Built Environment Board (GLA) Her previous roles include serving on the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education Route Panel, the Aviation Industry Skills Board, the City & Guilds Employer Board, BITC taskforces, and as a Non‑Executive Advisor for Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge College. Karima is a Fellow of The 5% Club and an Ethnicity Awards Inspirational Leadership winner.