Karen Thomson

Karen Thomson is Director of Armstrong Watson Payroll Services.  Karen’s role is to ensure the payroll services offered by the company, are as efficient and as competitive as possible.  Providing excellent customer service is a top priority for Karen and Armstrong Watson.  Karen’s knowledge is extensive and covers all aspects of payroll, benefits in kind, reward packages including salary sacrifice, local government pensions, automatic enrolment and employment law.  Before taking up the appointment with Armstrong Watson in August 2015, Karen headed up the policy team at the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals for more than thirteen years.  Here Karen was responsible for ensure employer and member views were represented to government and disseminating the information and views.  Karen’s previous work history includes Cumbria Police, Two Castles Housing, Carlisle City Council and the City of Edinburgh Council.  Karen is a member of the HMRC Administrative Burdens Advisory Board and Employment and Payroll Group consultation forums.  Karen also sits on the employer panel for NEST and is a member of the Cumbria Local Government Pensions Board.  Karen is also co-opted on the CIPP Board.  In her spare time Karen  is a tutor for the CIPP, tutoring the Foundation Degree and MSc programmes.  Karen recently graduated from a work based learning Post Graduate Certificate and is now a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.  In addition Karen is Trustee and Secretary for the North West English Springer Spaniel Rescue charity.