# Karen Colonias

> Karen Colonias is a civil engineer, inventor and former chief executive of Simpson Manufacturing. She joined Simpson Strong-Tie in 1984, advanced through engineering leadership, Stockton branch management and finance, and served as CEO from January 2012 through December 2022. She is an independent director of Reliance, Inc., chairing its compensation committee and serving on its audit committee. Simpson Strong-Tie named its Pleasanton research laboratory in her honor in 2023.

- **Role:** Independent Director and Compensation Committee Chair at Reliance, Inc.
- **Organizations:** Reliance, Inc., Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. (former), Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. (former), Bechtel Corporation (former)
- **Education:** BS in Civil Engineering, California State University, Sacramento, Master of Business Administration, California State University, East Bay (formerly California State University, Hayward)
- **Known for:** Designed more than 25 major products, including the initial prefabricated Strong-Wall shearwall, according to her 2018 first-person account., Filed 13 patents during her engineering career, according to Simpson’s December 2022 retirement announcement., Led Simpson Manufacturing as CEO while revenue rose from approximately $657 million in 2012 to $1.573 billion in 2021.

## Career timeline

- **Before 1984** — Worked as a civil engineer for Bechtel Corporation.
- **1984** — Joined Simpson Strong-Tie as an R&D engineer; she described herself as the second engineer in R&D.
- **1995** — Hip ridge connection patent US5380116A granted January 10.
- **1998** — Promoted to vice president of engineering.
- **2004-2009** — Managed Simpson Strong-Tie’s Stockton manufacturing branch.
- **2009-2012** — Served as Simpson Manufacturing CFO, treasurer and secretary, beginning in May 2009.
- **2012-2022** — Served as CEO from January 2012 through December 2022; held the president title from January 2012 through January 2022.
- **2013-2023** — Served on Simpson Manufacturing’s board until April 26, 2023.
- **2016** — Joined the Reliance board in October.
- **2022** — Became chair of Reliance’s compensation committee.
- **2023** — Retired from Simpson on June 30 after assisting the CEO transition; the Pleasanton research lab was named in her honor.

## Achievements

- Designed more than 25 major products, including the initial prefabricated Strong-Wall shearwall, according to her 2018 first-person account.
- Filed 13 patents during her engineering career, according to Simpson’s December 2022 retirement announcement.
- Led Simpson Manufacturing as CEO while revenue rose from approximately $657 million in 2012 to $1.573 billion in 2021.
- Honored through the naming of the Karen Colonias Research Laboratory in Pleasanton in 2023.
- Licensed professional civil engineer.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — An August 27 Reliance filing identifies Karen Winifred Colonias as a director.
- **2026-04** — Reliance’s 2026 proxy lists Colonias as an independent director, compensation committee chair and audit committee member.
- **2023-06** — Retired from Simpson Manufacturing on June 30 following an executive advisory transition.
- **2023-05** — Simpson’s engineering blog documented the dedication of the Karen Colonias Research Laboratory.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-colonias-90b843105

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/karen-colonias
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22