Karen Coleman
Award-winning Irish broadcaster, journalist, producer and author specialising in EU affairs. Based in Galway, Ireland.
Karen Coleman’s extensive experience has taken her from the frontlines of the Gaza Strip and war-torn Sarajevo, to reporting from the corridors of power in Washington and Brussels.
Her career has pivoted from being a BBC foreign correspondent to presenting award-winning radio shows and documentaries and fronting television programmes. Karen is also the Managing Director of Irish company, SkyeByte Productions, which makes television documentaries and multimedia projects for online platforms.
Karen brings these considerable production and broadcasting skills to the moderating stage, ensuring the professional handling of a wide range of conference tasks from conducting dynamic panel debates and one-to-one interviews, to managing café-style sessions.
Karen brings these considerable production and broadcasting skills to the moderating stage, ensuring the professional handling of a wide range of conference tasks from conducting dynamic panel debates and one-to-one interviews, to managing café-style sessions.
Over the last two decades, Karen has specialised in reporting on EU and International issues. As the editor of EU News Radio, she has extensive knowledge of the European Commission, European Council, European Parliament and other EU institutions and organisations.
She draws on these insights when moderating events whether on Green Deal issues to regulating AI, imposing sanctions against Russia or providing humanitarian aid to Gaza. Karen approaches each event with meticulous preparation. She likes to engage with clients as well as speakers and panellists in advance to get the most out of an event.
Karen’s mix of intelligence, humour and Irish charm gives her a unique style that both entertains and informs. Being Irish also means she comes from the only EU member country where English is the mother tongue.
Karen, impact in action
Q&A with Karen
-
Moderating an emotionally-charged EU conference on the humanitarian crisis in Syria in the European Parliament’s hemi-cycle. I walked around the massive chamber and interviewed Syrians about their situations back home. Their stories were powerful and moving and I felt enormously privileged to help raise their voices and tell their stories.
-
During the pandemic, my events moved online with remote moderation. I had to quickly set up a studio in my home in Ireland and source various backdrops, cameras and recording gear. While challenging, I learned to moderate seamlessly in these digital spaces and found new ways of engaging speakers and participants that I think actually enhanced the conversation more than an in-person event could.
-
The ability to mix Irish humour and charm with expertise in event topics while managing challenging timeframes with packed agendas.
-
Designing formats and concepts with clients to ensure the best possible outcome for an event and then moderating the conference with flair and expertise.
-
The variation of topics moderating events provides and the opportunity it presents to meet a whole range of fascinating people.
Top topics
Humanitarian aid & human rights
Environment, climate & energy
Agriculture and fisheries
Tech & artificial intelligence
Transport & mobility
Global health
Education
BA, Communications
University College Dublin
Languages
English - native
Gaelic - native
French - conversational
What they say
