Karima is a passionate and strategic leader with over 25 years’ experience across recruitment, training, apprenticeships, and learning. Her career spans aviation, construction, and utilities, with a strong focus over the past 15 years on employability, inclusive employment, and skills development.

At Thames Water, Karima leads the integrated strategy for Resourcing, Skills, Diversity & Inclusion, and Learning & Development, ensuring a seamless and inclusive employee journey from attraction through to retention. She has driven large-scale change programmes, shaped the company’s Skills Strategy, and built strategic partnerships across education, community, supply chain, and government to deliver social value and economic inclusion.

Karima is deeply committed to tackling in-work poverty, improving socio-economic diversity, and driving real change through collaborative approaches. Her experience includes working on major infrastructure projects such as Heathrow Terminal 5 and the third runway, and securing access funding through government contracts.

She currently holds several key advisory and leadership roles, including Chair of the West London Green Skills Employer Board and Co-Chair of the GLA Hiring and Skills Group. She also sits on the British Chamber of Commerce Employment and Skills Expert Panel. She has previously served on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education Route Panel, been a member of the BiTC Untapped Talent and Future Skills & Good Work Taskforces, member of the Aviation Industry Skills Board, the City & Guilds Employer Board, and was a Non-Executive Advisor for Harrow, Richmond, and Uxbridge College.

Karima is a Fellow of The 5% Club, recognised for her leadership in the earn-and-learn space and her commitment to driving lasting social impact and has been shortlisted as Inspirational Leader at the Ethnicity Awards 2025.