Karen G. Narwold is a highly accomplished senior executive with over 25 years of management, legal and business experience with multinational industrial manufacturing companies. Ms. Narwold is currently the Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel of Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB), a leading global specialty chemical company providing innovative solutions to customers in over 100 countries.
Ms. Narwold has extensive experience in complex strategic transactions and financial and capital structure planning. She most recently was the lead negotiator of Albemarle’s most significant transaction to date, the $5.7 billion acquisition of Rockwood Holdings, Inc. in January 2015. Ms. Narwold advised on the structure and execution of over $1.8 billion in transaction financing and delivered the closing of the transaction in less than 6 months. In addition, Ms. Narwold led the $3.2 billion divestiture of Albemarle’s surface treatment business (Chemetall) in December 2016.
Ms. Narwold has significant experience in risk identification, mitigation and management and is a member of Albemarle’s Enterprise Risk Management Committee. In this role, Ms. Narwold conducted an assessment of Albemarle’s risk in the area of legal compliance, resulting in a redesigned program focused on mitigating and managing the company’s highest legal risks. Ms. Narwold also has responsibility for Albemarle’s global compliance program.
Through her work with Albemarle’s Board of Directors, and two prior roles working with Boards of NYSE listed companies, Ms. Narwold has developed deep expertise in corporate governance, executive compensation, risk oversight, compliance and cybersecurity.
In late 2013, after assuming the leadership of the Public Affairs group, Ms. Narwold restructured the teams to be aligned with the operational needs of the global business units (GBUs) and developed a strategic plan focused on supporting the Company’s and the GBUs strategic objectives. In May 2016, after assuming the additional responsibilities of leading the global HR and IT teams, Ms. Narwold led the design of a new HR operating model and has led the successful implementation of one global HR system of record (Workday).
In each area of functional responsibility, Ms. Narwold drives increased productivity and speed of decision making through the design and implementation of systemic work processes, focused on defined roles and responsibilities and interdependencies.
Ms. Narwold graduated summa cum laude and received her Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT. She graduated with honors from the University of Connecticut School of Law in West Hartford, CT in 1986.