Private Company Director’s Directors to Watch 2025 highlights 31 significant and diverse directors who have contributed to and will continue to expand ongoing dialogue on board best practices and corporate governance excellence.
Karen N. Coombs
Southworth International Group Inc.
Karen Coombs is an experienced board member and global operations and supply chain leader. She serves as an independent director of Southworth International Group Inc., a family-owned manufacturer of vertical positioning equipment.
She leverages her experience as an audit and risk committee member and chair of the industry & innovation committee. In addition, Karen is the chief operations officer at Darkhive Inc.
Coombs has served as global director of Supply Chain for Amazon Robotics, executive VP for CRH Americas and plant manager for New Balance. She served two combat deployments as a commissioned logistics officer in the U.S. Army.
The many types of diversity: “Recruiting and fostering a diverse board is critical to effective board management. The most successful boards are diverse not just in demographic, but industries, roles and personality types. Understanding stakeholder objectives and company goals is key to prioritizing board focus. Skills matrices and leadership assessment tools identify gaps that must be filled in order to achieve goals. These gaps can be filled through education and recruitment. Given the emerging risks and rapid evolution in technology, geopolitics and competition, gaps must be constantly evaluated. Commitment to board diversity, ongoing education and regular assessment ensures effective management.”