About

Karen Schwartzman

Karen established Polaris Public Relations in 1999 to provide strategic counsel and communications services to clients who find themselves navigating the uncharted waters of a public relations crisis.

A former senior vice president of Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., Karen provided litigation support, crisis management, and general public relations services to a diverse mix of corporate and institutional clients. She joined the firm after eight years with BankBoston Corporation where, as director of media relations for Boston’s then-biggest bank holding company, she served as the Company’s chief liaison to the press, managing proactive public relations initiatives and BankBoston’s reputation through mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, employee misconduct, stock market turbulence, and management reorganizations. She also led the Company’s campaign to gain national recognition for its program of community banking, community-based sponsorships, volunteerism, and corporate giving.

Karen spent the first 13 years of her career in public service to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts – three as director of media relations for the new, innovative, and much-heralded child support enforcement effort; two as assistant press secretary to Governor Michael Dukakis; five with the State Ethics Commission, and three with the Boston Finance Commission.

Karen graduated from Boston University in 1975 with a BA in psychology. She also holds a master's degree in urban planning and public administration from New York University.

In addition to crisis management services, Karen also offers proactive public relations counsel to a number of non-profit organizations on a paid and pro bono basis and serves as a member of three non profit boards: The Pine Street Inn, New England’s leading resource for homeless men and women; the Charles River Conservancy, dedicated to improving the parklands of the Charles River; and ACCESS, the leading provider of financial aid advising and scholarships to students in the Boston Public Schools. She also serves as a director of the Co-operative Central Bank.