Karen Richardson
Independent non-executive director
Appointed:
1 January 2021
Board and committee activities:
Chair of the technology advisory council and member of the audit committee
Outside interests:
Chair of Origin Materials Inc.
Director of Exponent Inc.
Partner at Artius Capital Partners
Nationality:
American
Career summary
Karen Richardson was Vice President of Sales at Netscape Communications Corporation from 1995 to 1998 before embarking on several senior executive roles at E.piphany from 1998 to 2003 and was Chief Executive Officer between 2003 and 2006. In 2011 she became a non-executive director of BT plc where she served for seven years and between 2016 and 2019 Karen was a director of Worldpay Inc. (Worldpay Group plc). Karen is currently chair of Origin Materials Inc., a world leading carbon negative materials company, and, since 2013, Director of Exponent Inc., the engineering and scientific consulting company.
Karen has a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University and was awarded distinctions from the Stanford Industrial Engineering Department and the American Institute of Industrial Engineers.
Skills and experience
Karen has over 30 years’ experience in the technology industry. She brings exceptional knowledge of digital, technology, cyber and IT security matters from her career working with innovative companies in Silicon Valley. As bp works to transform into an Integrated Energy Company, Karen has the skills, experience and diversity to further enhance the board’s ability to support and oversee the delivery of bp’s strategy. Her work in this area is supplemented by her chairing the company’s technology advisory council.