Karen McSteen, principal of brandMatters, brings to the firm over 25 years of experience in field operations, corporate marketing, executive leadership and brand management with Fortune 500 companies. From her post as AOL's Senior Vice President of Brand Strategy to her leadership as Brand Vice President at Marriott International to strategic assignments at E! Entertainment and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, McSteen focuses her work on a company-wide, brand-centered approach.

“Under Karen's leadership, the Marriott Hotels and Resorts brand achieved record levels of premium market share and preference leadership."
Mike Jannini, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Marriott Brands, Marriott International

"Karen McSteen helped us drill down to the heart of our brand. The approach was focused -- and involved nearly every constituency that interacts with the network. This was a great way to identify, and solve, any potential discrepancies. The end result: A cohesive, concise brand direction we feel we can communicate easily." 
Cynthia McClellan, Senior Vice President, Research and Program Strategy E! Entertainment Television
 
"Karen McSteen is one of the most strategic, thoughtful people in the brand strategy space. She approaches brand assessment and management in a concise, well-laid-out way, is dogged in the execution and, as a result, in a few months had enormous impact on the institution's view of its brand health and commitment to active management of the brand."
Lisa Hook, Former President AOL Broadband
 

In 2006, McSteen was awarded the prestigious Presidents' Award by the Women Presidents' Educational Organization.