Karen Drummond (general manager and senior project manager) holds an MSc in Materials Science from the University of Cape Town and has over 24 years of experience, including expertise in business development, managing complex proposals, and research focused on sustainable development, particularly climate change impacts.

As the General Manager and Senior Project Manager at OneWorld, she oversees daily operations, improves business processes, manages budgets, and develops strategic plans. Karen’s strong organisational, interpersonal, and attention-to-detail skills ensure efficient project execution. Karen has managed high-profile projects, including the African Development Bank’s (AFDB) climate finance access training, which trained 90 students from 26 African countries in proposal development for the Green Climate Fund (GCF). She also managed a KAS-funded course aimed at strengthening the shadow voices of 20 African countries for COP26. Currently, Karen manages the Adaptation Benefit Mechanism (ABM) Roster of Experts project, funded by the AFDB.

Karen has long experience working with OneWorld, having spent six years with the company in business development, putting large tenders together for both local and international groups, and researching various aspects of sustainable development, particularly in terms of climate change impacts.