Karen Schulman is a seasoned operations executive and strategic leader with a distinguished 25+ year career spanning globally recognized corporations and fast-growing startups. Known for her transformative leadership style, operational rigor, and growth-focused strategies, Karen has held executive roles at some of the most innovative companies in the world, including Electronic Arts (EA), Microsoft, and DoubleDown Interactive/IGT, as well as advisory leadership during a presidential campaign initiative led by Howard Schultz and General Peter Chiarelli.
At the height of her tenure with Electronic Arts, Karen served as vice president of mobile operations, where she oversaw a $1+ billion mobile gaming division that included 2,000 employees across 20 global studios. She architected the division’s transformation from a fragmented group of teams into a unified, profit-focused business engine. Under her leadership, EA Mobile not only grew revenues by 25% but also achieved a staggering 50% improvement in EBITDA. She was directly responsible for scaling global operations, managing cross-functional teams in India, the U.S., and Europe, and launching and expanding marquee titles such as FIFA/FC Mobile, Madden, The Sims, Star Wars, and Need for Speed—with FIFA Mobile becoming a top 30 global mobile game.
Previously, Karen served as chief of staff and CEO of Interologic, Inc., supporting General Chiarelli in building the technical and operational infrastructure for Howard Schultz’s exploration of a U.S. presidential run. There, she led the technology and data analytics arm, ensuring seamless integration of digital solutions to support strategic campaign decisions.
Karen’s ability to lead companies through rapid growth and change is a consistent theme throughout her career. As vice president of operations at DoubleDown Interactive (acquired by IGT), she scaled the company from 140 to 250 employees and increased revenue by 30% in a single year. Her operational strategies drove stronger player retention and monetization in one of the world’s largest online casino platforms. She also served as chief marketing officer at Razoo, a crowdfunding platform for charitable giving, where she elevated the brand and marketing operations—growing donation volume from $28 million to over $135 million in just two years.
Karen’s early career at Microsoft and Electronic Arts positioned her at the forefront of the digital gaming revolution. At Microsoft, she was general manager and partner of Windows Gaming, consolidating and turning around six business units to revitalize the Windows gaming strategy. Earlier, she was part of the original founding team at Pogo.com, which became EA’s first foray into casual gaming, later acquired and transformed under her leadership into a high-margin, $100M business. Her tenure at EA included founding contributions to the EA Sports franchise, where she launched iconic titles such as Madden NFL, NHL Hockey, and NBA Basketball, and secured EA’s first million-dollar licensing deal.
Karen is known as a candid, hands-on, and empowering leader who cultivates high-performing, cross-functional teams and builds operational systems that drive growth, scale, and excellence. Her leadership philosophy is rooted in authenticity, strategic clarity, and deep commitment to both customer value and employee success.
Karen earned her bachelor of arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and is based in Seattle, WA. She has traveled to all seven continents, a testament to her curiosity, adaptability, and appreciation for global cultures—traits she brings into her leadership and boardroom presence. Now actively seeking board roles, Karen is focused on contributing her deep operational and strategic insight to organizations poised for growth, reinvention, or market expansion. With her proven track record of building billion-dollar businesses, scaling startups, and leading complex global operations, she is a uniquely qualified candidate to advise companies across technology, gaming, digital media, and beyond.
Character: Karen is a candid, hands-on, and empowering leader who values authenticity, accountability, and team success.
Knowledge: With over 25 years of executive experience, she possesses deep expertise in global operations, gaming, digital media, and business transformation.
Strategic: She has a proven track record of driving billion-dollar growth, leading large-scale restructures, and launching high-impact global initiatives.
Communication: Karen excels at cross-functional leadership and aligning diverse global teams through clear, results-driven communication.
