Karen Lloyd

MEET KAREN LLOYD

Director at Armstrong Lloyd & Host of the “Spotlight on B2B Marketing” Podcast

Karen Lloyd is an experienced voice in B2B marketing recruitment, bringing nearly 30 years of hands‑on leadership, commercial insight and talent strategy to every organisation she partners with.

She’s not just a recruiter, she’s a five‑time start‑up founder, a Board Director of 25 years and a trusted advisor to global B2B brands who rely on her to build the marketing teams that drive real commercial growth.

What sets Karen apart is her passion for the craft of marketing. Through her podcast, Spotlight on B2B Marketing, she speaks directly with the leaders shaping the industry, giving her a front‑row seat to the skills, trends and capabilities modern marketing teams need to succeed.

If you’re looking for someone who understands marketing, people and how to build high‑performing teams, you’re in the right place.

WHAT MAKES KAREN DIFFERENT

Karen’s approach stands out because she has lived every side of the recruitment journey, as a recruiter, a founder, a marketing strategist and a partner to HR leaders. She didn’t fall into recruitment; she built her career deliberately, by starting early and quickly identifying gaps in the market that others overlooked.

Her ability to spot opportunity is a thread that runs through her story. In 1999, she co‑founded an independent recruitment business after recognising an unmet need in the Sussex accountancy market. She led the marketing strategy, developed an e‑commerce project and built a reputation for structured yet adaptable recruitment campaigns. Many of the people she trained went on to become senior leaders in the industry, this is a reflection of her commitment to developing talent.

Karen’s curiosity and commercial mindset naturally pulled her deeper into marketing. Working closely with HR Directors on talent acquisition strategies, she saw how quickly marketing roles were evolving and how difficult it was for companies outside London to keep up. That insight led her to create Armstrong Lloyd, giving businesses a specialist partner who truly understands the pace and complexity of modern marketing.

What sets Karen apart is her blend of experience:

• Has run businesses, not just recruited for them.

• Understands marketing from both a strategic and operational perspective.

• Stays close to industry trends through her podcast, “Spotlight on B2B Marketing”

• Brings a people‑first, partnership‑driven approach grounded in honesty and long‑term relationships.

Karen’s strength isn’t just in finding talent, it’s in understanding how businesses work, what teams need to thrive and how to match people to environments where they can genuinely succeed.

A CAREER BUILT ON REAL-WORLD LEADERSHIP

Karen’s career began long before Armstrong Lloyd; it started inside the fast‑paced world of accountancy recruitment. Those early years shaped her understanding of people, commercial pressure and the impact the right hire can have on a business.

She later co‑founded Alexander Lloyd, where she built and scaled a successful recruitment business. During this time, she led marketing strategy, developed talent management programmes, designed assessment centres, trained future recruitment leaders and oversaw internal hiring. Many of the people she mentored went on to become senior managers, associate directors and in‑house recruitment leaders — a testament to her ability to develop talent.

Her career then evolved into partnering with HR Directors to streamline talent acquisition strategies. This exposed her to the challenges businesses face when hiring in niche or emerging skill areas, and highlighted a growing gap in the market: companies outside London were struggling to recruit modern marketing talent.

That insight led Karen to launch Armstrong Lloyd, combining her recruitment expertise with her passion for marketing. Today, she brings hands‑on leadership, commercial understanding and real operational experience to every organisation she supports.

Her journey hasn’t been theoretical, it’s been built through founding multiple start‑ups, serving as a Board Director, and navigating the realities of hiring, scaling and leading teams. It’s this depth of real‑world experience that shapes her approach and earns the trust of B2B organisations.

HOW KAREN HELPS B2B ORGANISATIONS GROW

Karen helps B2B organisations build stronger marketing and sales functions by combining deep recruitment expertise with a practical understanding of how commercial teams operate. Her approach is grounded in partnership, clarity and a genuine commitment to helping businesses hire people who make an impact.

She specialises in supporting organisations that need to scale, evolve or strengthen their revenue‑generating teams. whether that means hiring senior leaders, finding niche skill sets or improving the way they attract and assess talent.

Her core areas of expertise include:

• Executive Search for Marketing & Sales Leadership CMO, Marketing Director, Head of Marketing and senior commercial roles across B2B sectors.

• Building High‑Performing B2B Teams Helping organisations shape and grow teams that support long‑term commercial goals.

• Direct Sourcing & Market Mapping Going beyond job boards to uncover hidden talent through her established network and hands‑on research.

• Talent Strategy & Process Improvement Working with HR leaders to streamline recruitment processes, improve efficiency, and strengthen hiring outcomes.

• ATS Implementation & Recruitment Technology Improving recruitment workflows and supporting businesses in adopting the right tools.

• Support Beyond Hiring Offering redundancy support, career coaching, CV reviews and interview preparation for individuals navigating change.

Karen’s understanding of modern marketing, strengthened by her podcast, “Spotlight on B2B Marketing” this gives her a unique perspective on the skills and capabilities B2B teams need today. She stays close to industry conversations, emerging trends and the challenges leaders face when building teams in competitive markets.

Her goal is simple: “To help organisations hire people who elevate performance and drive growth.”

KAREN’S PODAST: SPOTLIGHT ON B2B MARKETING

Alongside her work with clients, Karen hosts “Spotlight on B2B Marketing”, a podcast where she speaks with marketing leaders about the trends, challenges and ideas shaping the industry. These conversations keep her close to what’s happening inside real B2B teams, from evolving skill sets to new technologies, shifting expectations and the commercial pressures marketing leaders face.

The podcast gives Karen a unique vantage point: she hears directly from the people building modern marketing functions. That insight feeds into her work with clients, helping her understand not just what organisations are hiring for, but why those roles matter and how they contribute to growth.

It also strengthens her ability to identify talent that fits the moment people who can adapt, collaborate and bring the right blend of strategic and technical capability.

For businesses, this means working with someone who is deeply connected to the conversations that matter most in B2B marketing today. For candidates, it means partnering with someone who understands their world, their challenges and the direction their careers are heading.

BEYOND THE BOARDROOM

Karen believes in staying curious, adaptable and commercially aware, blending different skills and perspectives to meet the demands of the future. She’s a big advocate for keeping an open mind, understanding the broader context and never limiting yourself to one narrow path.

Outside of work, she’s full of personality and grounded in the things that matter most.

Either / OR

WHAT PEOPLE VALUE MOST

Clients and candidates consistently highlight Karen’s honesty, clarity and partnership‑driven approach. They appreciate the way she listens, challenges constructively and brings a calm, confident presence to every search. Her ability to understand how teams really work and what people need to thrive is what keeps organisations coming back.

WORK WITH KAREN

If you’re looking for a recruitment partner who brings clarity, honesty and real commercial understanding, Karen is someone you’ll want in your corner. She works closely with leaders who value a thoughtful, structured approach and who want to hire people who will genuinely strengthen their business.

Whether you’re building a team, hiring for a critical role or refining your talent strategy, Karen brings the insight, calm confidence and partnership mindset that make the process feel clear and manageable from start to finish.

If you’re ready to build a team that can truly move your organisation forward, Karen would love to support you.