Karen Astarita has more than 25 years of experience in compensation, benefits, and employee wellbeing. Prior to building her consulting practice, she spent more than six years with Travel + Leisure Co. in an executive capacity, having established the company’s corporate Total Rewards function after the spin-off from its hotel group.
Karen’s work has spanned executive and broad-based compensation, global benefits, HRIS, and performance management. She has led major reward program redesigns and supported large-scale business integrations at global consumer products companies, including Newell Brands and Unilever. A WorldatWork faculty member since 2021, Karen brings both strategic insight and operational know-how to the classroom. She is an active member of WorldatWork’s Executive Rewards Advisory Council and a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP®).
Karen earned her BS from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester.
Professional Designations/ Accreditations:
- Certified Compensation Professional (CCP®)
Education
- MBA in Finance and Marketing from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester
- BS from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations
Karen Astarita has more than 25 years of experience in compensation, benefits, and employee wellbeing. Prior to building her consulting practice, she spent more than six years with Travel + Leisure Co. in an executive capacity, having established the company’s corporate Total Rewards function after the spin-off from its hotel group.
Karen’s work has spanned executive and broad-based compensation, global benefits, HRIS, and performance management. She has led major reward program redesigns and supported large-scale business integrations at global consumer products companies, including Newell Brands and Unilever. A WorldatWork faculty member since 2021, Karen brings both strategic insight and operational know-how to the classroom. She is an active member of WorldatWork’s Executive Rewards Advisory Council and a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP®).
Karen earned her BS from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester.
