Karen Kolnes

As Director of Recruiting at Millman Search, Karen translates her extensive leadership background with top luxury and fashion brands into a strategic recruiting approach defined by attentive listening and a commitment to building lasting community and professional partnerships.

Executive Profile

Karen brings over two decades of fashion industry expertise. Her leadership background spans top luxury and retail brands, including Louis Vuitton, Bergdorf Goodman, and J. Crew.

Before joining Millman Search Group in 2014, Karen held retail leadership positions in buying, management, human resources, merchandising, and operations. Her comprehensive retail background informs her strategic approach to talent acquisition.

Karen’s recruiting philosophy centers on building lasting partnerships through attentive listening and a thorough understanding of client and candidate needs. Her expertise in customer experience and inquisitive nature drive successful placements.

She holds a BA in Marketing Management from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and studied at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Diego and San Francisco.

Giving back to the community is an important part of Karen’s life. She partners with Social Venture Partners, providing pro-bono consulting for nonprofits. Karen lives in San Diego with her husband.

Expert Insight. Collective Success.

We leverage our firm’s deep industry reach and a refined methodology to secure the leadership your culture deserves.