Karen Wallace

Karen  Wallace
  • BS Chemical Engineering 1988
Karen Wallace graduated from Michigan Tech in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering. In 1992, she earned an MBA in finance from the University of Michigan.

Wallace started her career as a Process Engineer at Dow Corning Corporation. She left Dow Corning after two years to return to school full-time for her MBA. Following the completion of her MBA in 1992, Wallace joined ARCO Chemical Company as a Senior Financial Analyst before moving to Los Angeles to join the parent company, Atlantic Richfield.

In 1995, Wallace accepted a position with Armstrong World Industries in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as the Manager of Treasury Operations. While there, she held a variety of financial positions with increasing responsibility including Director, Investor Relations, Vice President of Finance and CFO for the Worthington Armstrong Venture (a joint venture between Armstrong and Worthington Industries), and Assistant Treasurer for the corporation. In 2004, she joined ARAMARK Corporation in Philadelphia as Assistant Treasurer. Wallace also serves as a Trustee and Chair of the Investment Committees for ARAMARK's Canadian and UK pension plans.

In 2005, Wallace was elected to ARAMARK's Executive Leadership Council. She also served as a member of the Association for Financial Professionals and the National Investor Relations Institute and has been an invited speaker at national and regional conferences. While at Armstrong, Wallace was a member of the Women's Council and served as a mentor to younger women, particularly those in the finance organization.

While a student at Michigan Tech, Wallace was a member of the student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AICE). She was also a member of the Women's Varsity Track Team, earning two varsity letters.

Wallace and her husband, Jim Iannuzzi, live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Wallace was inducted into the Presidential Council of Alumnae in April 2009.


Excerpted from the 2009 Presidential Council of Alumnae Program