Karen Castillo-Paff
Board Chair
Karen Castillo-Paff’s work lies at the intersection of communication and business transformation. She helps brands tell their stories and drive sustainable growth. With over 15 years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies, she has shaped strategic narratives that align brand identities with business objectives, ensuring unity during times of change.
Her career began in journalism, where she gained experience behind the scenes at The CBS Evening News and 60 Minutes, as well as in front of the camera as a TV reporter in large-market roles. Karen covered significant stories, including two presidential elections, a papal visit to the U.S., and the 2008 financial crisis. She leveraged social media to promote her work, growing her audience and earning awards, including an Emmy, Associated Press Awards, and Society of Professional Journalists honors.
Karen transitioned to public relations, building measurable brand awareness across traditional and digital platforms for companies such as Salix Pharmaceuticals, Oyster Point Pharma, Viatris, Johnson's® Baby, Sun Pharmaceuticals, Dunkin' Donuts, Citizens Bank, Barclays, UBS, Capital One, and Columbia University.
At Oyster Point Pharma, she created a branding strategy instrumental in securing a $400 million strategic sale, leading to its integration into Viatris. Previously, at Bausch Health, she drove communications strategies that elevated product visibility and grew portfolio revenue from $1.2 billion to $2 billion.
She has been a trusted partner in five M&A transactions, leading cross-functional teams to ensure operational continuity and cohesive messaging and flexing into interim roles to align with C-suite visions and position companies for success.
Karen Castillo-Paff holds dual degrees in Business Communications and Spanish from DeSales University. She resides in New Jersey with her husband and children.