Managing Director, International Center for Co-operative Management
Saint Mary’s University
Karen Miner is known for her values-based approach, passion for cooperatives, management experience, broad perspective and leadership qualities. Karen’s career has focused on governance, strategy, business management and sustainability within cooperatives, non-profits, for-profit organizations and government. Karen has a bachelor’s degree in Business, a master’s in Planning, is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC), certified director (ICD.D – Institute of Corporate Directors; ACCUD – credit union system (Canada)), and Adjunct Professor teaching Cooperative Innovation at Saint Mary’s University.
In her current role as Managing Director of the International Centre for Co-operative Management, Karen works with cooperative and credit union professionals from around the world. In this role, Karen has developed a number of international partnerships and programs (including an international consortium on cooperative business education). Other important professional contributions include international cooperative governance research (in partnership with KU Leuven University, Belgium), spearheading a Symposium on Governance, leading research on the State of Co-operative Business Education report, co-editing a report on governance for the International Cooperative Alliance, and participating in a United Nations Expert Group Meeting on the role of cooperatives in addressing the Sustainable Development Goals.
Other cooperative activities include a current role on the Board of Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada, and Board Chair for Credit Union Atlantic (CUA). Karen has held previous board positions with Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) and the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA).