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Karen Church

VP Research & Data Science at Intercom, leading Team RAD

ExecutiveLeads from the backHybrid schoolResearchAIOrg

She is moving a research org through the AI transition with an AI-first-by-default team while protecting and growing the people in it — a clear elevate-not-hollow leader.

Signature win. Built and scaled Intercom's combined Research, Analytics & Data Science org and led the human-centered UX research behind Fin.AI, its flagship AI support agent.

The case

editorial · CCBEI · with sources

CraftPhD in CS (UCD), 30+ peer-reviewed HCI papers, 8 yrs in Yahoo/Telefonica research labs; now owns the human-centered UX research behind Intercom's Fin.AI agent.8

CommunicationAuthor of the Intercom RAD Medium series ('Introducing RAD,' 'How to Structure a Research & Data Science Team') plus podcasts/talks that make research legible to product orgs.8

BusinessBuilt and scaled Intercom's global Research, Analytics & Data Science (RAD) function; research directly fuels Fin, Intercom's flagship AI growth engine.8

Education[Education recalibrated toward editorial baseline] Founded XX+Data / HER+Data community for women in data, coaches women in CS and mentors female PhD students — explicit, sustained people-elevation.8

InnovationLeads an AI-first-by-default RAD team working in Claude Code, framed to lift researchers' capability and shape human-centered AI — elevates the team rather than replacing it.8

Endorsed by peers

illustrative · opens with verified accounts

OverallI'd work for them74

CraftRaised my craft bar74

CommunicationMade the case for design74

BusinessMade design matter to the business74

EducationTaught me something I still use74

InnovationShowed me a new way to work74

Verified peers only — one tap with LinkedIn. Names stay private; we show role and industry. Bars are illustrative until the participation backend is live.

Stories

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