Karen May

Organizational Psychologist 

(Former) VP, People Development, Google

Karen May is an organizational psychologist with expertise in leadership development, change management and executive coaching. For ten years, Karen served as Google’s vice president of People Development, heading up the company’s leadership development, L&D, talent management and career development work. Prior to joining Google in 2010, Karen led two management consulting firms. As the president and owner of RedFish Consulting and a principal and co-founder of Terranova Consulting Group, Karen consulted for Fortune 100 companies, including Google for several years. Her consulting services spanned strategic planning, executive coaching, leadership development, conflict resolution, and change management across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. 

Karen has a long interest in mindfulness and meditation and is a frequent interviewer, contributor and advisor to Wisdom 2.0. Currently, Karen is enjoying a break from work. It’s time for hiking, swimming, paddle boarding, reading, travel and, most importantly, family and friends. 

Karen earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology at U.C. Berkeley and received her B.A. in psychology from Mills College. Karen is currently a member of the Mills College Board of Trustees and is a past president of the Mills College Alumnae Association.