In an effort to boost its diversity-related activities, the Associated Industries of Massachusetts have named Karen Wallace to the newly-created position of executive vice president of economic inclusion.
Wallace has served as the AIM’s chief marketing executive since 2020, according to a release issued by the Boston-based organization on Thursday. During her time in that role, Wallace developed AIM Business Connect, an initiative funded by Lynn-based Eastern Bank Foundation which matches minority, women, LGBTQ+, veteran and disabled-owned businesses with AIM members who are looking to diversify their supply chains.
“I couldn’t be prouder to lead the economic inclusion efforts of the largest business association in Massachusetts,” Wallace said in the press release. “AIM has committed itself to a vibrant and inclusive vision of economic growth in which every business in the commonwealth has access to the resources it needs to compete.”
In addition to continuing to oversee AIM Business Connect, Wallace will lead a new digital inclusion initiative seeking to help historically disadvantaged small and midsized businesses improve their digital presence, among other efforts.
“Karen Wallace has a unique passion for ensuring that every Massachusetts business shares in the economic prosperity of the commonwealth,” Brooke Thomson, president and CEO of AIM, said in the press release. “This new role will allow her to concentrate her immense talents on ensuring that AIM remains a leader in economic inclusion.”
Thomson took over leadership of the organization in January. In her first annual address that month, she outlined the need to tackle staffing challenges as a top concern for businesses.
Prior to joining AIM, Wallace spent 12 years as a senior marketing executive at Fidelity Investments in Shrewsbury. A native of Springfield, Wallace graduated with a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Simmons College in Boston.
