Here’s what people have to say about working with me, about my leadership skills, and about the quality technical writing and related work I do. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate with so many wonderful people—in the US, Canada, and around the world—over the years.
BLOOMBERG L.P.
My role Technical Writing Team Lead
“Karen is an excellent technical writer, with the process-oriented mind of a business analyst and the creative drive of a product designer. It was incredible how Karen took large and complex documents and converted them into lovely pieces that are easily searchable in a modern UI.
She is also an excellent team leader, maximizing the strengths of her team and guiding her members to improve their skills and optimize the quality of their output.”
Te Bai, Product Manager
“As team lead of the technical writing team for the Enterprise Console product at Bloomberg, Karen has an organized and systematic approach that ensures that work will be done correctly and on time. She demonstrates leadership by acting proactively to determine upcoming requirements, and plans thoughtfully so that these requirements can be met. She has great people skills that work across the organization, and is constantly keeping up to date with product managers and leads to determine developments that might affect the products the writing team supports.”
Lois Patterson, Technical Writer
“I have worked closely with Karen on several key initiatives. Karen produces great output. She is accessible, versatile, and easy to work with. No matter what we ask her to do, she jumps in and gets it done.”
Kevin McGagh, Global Service Delivery Manager
GRASSHOPPER BANK, N.A.
My role Senior Technical Writer Consultant
“Karen was a genuine asset to our process as a start-up organization. Her expertise, professionalism, and vast wealth of knowledge proved invaluable as we determined and implemented critical procedures for our teams. She was able to translate our requirements to readable, understandable, and effective documentation that will be critical to our team for today and in the future. Her ability to learn quickly and integrate that knowledge into accurate and critical documentation has been a tremendous value add to our business. In addition to her technical skills, Karen brings a professional yet genuinely friendly demeanor to the group. I would work with her again without question.”
Sally Myers, Chief Risk Officer (CRO)
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS
My role Senior Technical Writer Consultant
“Karen is a highly skilled professional and she helped establish the framework for our organizational manuals. She is methodical, organized, and easy to work with. I had the pleasure to work with her and one of the things that impressed me the most was her flexibility to adapt to the demands and changes of the organization. I highly recommend her as she is not only highly skilled but also a team player who cares about providing the best product for your organization.”
Penelope Suero, Director of Performance Improvement and Special Projects
NRECA
My role International Technical Writer Consultant
“I contracted Karen Rempel to develop a user manual for a complex software application that was developed by some of my colleagues for an electric utility that NRECA International has established in Caracol, Haiti… NRECA required a highly skilled technical writer for this task with specific experience and expertise in developing user guidelines for complex software products. Ms. Rempel not only displayed extremely high quality work product, but her professionalism was readily apparent and resulted in work that was performed quickly and with outstanding results.”
Dr. Daniel B. Waddle, Senior Vice President
HOCHTIEF AG
My role International Technical Editor Consultant
“When we engaged a technical editor for our project, we requested that four different technical editors in locations around the globe perform editing on a sample of our legal documentation. Our lawyers evaluated the editing tests and found that Ms. Rempel’s understanding of the technical material and ability to provide corrections was outstanding. We consider Ms. Rempel’s technical editing abilities to be exceptional, and far superior to the average technical editor in the field.”
Ron Tzur, Country Manager
Inventure Solutions Inc. – A Vancity Company
My role Documentation Lead & Business Consultant
“Karen is an excellent technical writer and has a great ability to take a high-level approach and translate it to tangible, detailed steps. Her work ethic and quick ability to understand and document requirements is fantastic. She also has a keen eye for the usability of the target system and a strong understanding of what the business needs.”
Christopher Fay, currently Executive Director, JP Morgan, New York City; formerly Application Integration Project Manager at Inventure (while North America Payment Practice Director for Accenture)
“I have greatly enjoyed working with Karen at Vancity/Inventure Solutions on a large transformation program. As the Documentation Lead and Business Consultant for this initiative, Karen provided input for process review planning, created an online help system and development plan, and assisted with planning end user training and support tools. Karen is the consummate professional, displaying initiative and delivering high quality work. Her broad technological background enables Karen to develop innovative business solutions. A collaborative team player, Karen is a pleasure to work with!”
Marie Szklarz, B.Ed., ABC, Owner and President, Marie Szklarz Communications Inc.
Chevron
My role Senior Documentation Specialist – Consultant
“It was truly a pleasure to work with such a competent and driven individual as Karen. We had a very tight timeline to meet (effectively 3 months from start to finish) for the creation of a 200-page manual which involved gathering input from many stakeholders and sources. Without Karen’s level of determination and commitment, making this deliverable would not have been possible.
Karen project managed this effort, developing a strategic plan and monitoring progress as we went along. She is very committed to meeting all milestones and keeping clients on track for providing their deliverables (this was particularly important for me given the tight schedule).
Karen’s meticulous attention to formatting, grammar, structure, overall appearance, and technical attributes of the document were readily apparent. She created some innovative heading styles as well which really brought the document to life and ultimately contributed to the user friendliness of the document (essential for a manual). I was also impressed by Karen’s accountability to the project budget and detailed tracking of her time.
Above all, Karen is fantastic with everyone she works with, an important skill for capturing the input of a large team.
I would not hesitate to use Karen’s services again. She was instrumental in making this project a success and is a true professional in her field. ”
Brian Harrington, Capital Projects Lead, Chevron Canada
Sysco
My role Senior Documentation Specialist – Consultant
“Karen has worked on a Delivery Standardization Handbook for Sysco Canada and has provided outstanding technical writing services. Her ability to provide technical direction on the project was superb; she was further able to quickly integrate as a team member on the project and was able to quickly gain trust with the project committee. We are extremely satisfied with her work and contribution and will look to engaging her service for future projects.”
Jon Tuttle, Vice President Standard Operating Excellence, Sysco Canada
BC Hydro
My role MadCap Flare Expert Consultant
“Karen’s attention to detail, professionalism, and quick turnaround times were much appreciated in our project. Her expertise and enthusiasm in using MadCap Flare was evident and the detailed training documentation she provided will ensure our success going forward. It was a real pleasure to work with Karen! Thank you!”
Karin Dyck, HR Analyst, BC Hydro
EGBC
My role Senior Documentation Specialist – Consultant
“Karen is a skilled professional who cares about the quality and value that she provides. Karen is personable and easy to work with. She is the best consultant that I have ever worked with and I would not have any reservations hiring her again.”
Ray Filipiak, Associate Director, Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia
ICBC
My role Business Analyst | Technical Writer – Consultant
“Karen is a detail-oriented and highly focused individual who will get the work done. She is very bright and understands complicated materials easily.”
Rita Ward, Manager, Accounting and Tax, ICBC
“I worked with Karen Rempel on a project related to implementing updates to forms and procedure manuals as a result of a change in tax legislation. Karen was methodical and organized, and was able to provide information about tax rules in clear, concise and user-friendly language and formats.”
Sally Ong, Manager, Claims Financial and Business Services, ICBC
Able Irrigation Ltd.
My role Senior Documentation Specialist – Consultant
“I am so happy that Karen took on our project. Karen is approachable, professional, and talented. Karen has a strong understanding of business and a fascinating background of skills. She pulled together all our documents and thoughts into a superb manual. Karen has the ability to organize data sensibly and see the whole picture. She knows when a written procedure is missing information, even though she’s never been in an irrigation trench! Karen remained dedicated to our project. Our company, our procedures, and our online presence are much more organized, polished, and presentable having hired her. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Karen and know that she brings talents unmeasured to any writing project.”
Top qualities: Great Results, Personable, Expert
Colleen MacKinnon, Co-Owner, Able Irrigation Ltd.
STC – Canada West Coast Chapter
My role President
“I’ve worked with Karen as an STC volunteer for two terms, and both times she has shown a level of dedication and professionalism that is admirable. She revitalized the chapter during a time when, due to recession factors, volunteerism had dipped badly, and chapter operations were compromised. Karen stepped in, created a strategic plan, and socialized her vision throughout the membership. The crowning accolade was the chapter winning an award for creative use of technologies.
Karen has shown herself to be a people person. Her leadership style shows how she values human relationships and works hard at ensuring that the volunteers are appreciated for their contributions.”
Rahel Anne Bailie, Director & subsequent board-level positions, Society for Technical Communication
“As president of the Society for Technical Communication – Canada West Coast chapter, Karen Rempel demonstrated exemplary leadership skills and strategic vision. Her empathetic and empowering leadership style allowed everyone on the volunteer team to perform their best work, and her expertise in technical writing is apparent to anyone who meets her. She is professional, proactive, and very easy to work with. As vice-president of the chapter, I very much appreciated the guidance that she provided to me as I prepared to step into her shoes—no easy accomplishment, but with Karen’s help, I felt prepared and confident moving into the role. I would welcome the opportunity to work with Karen again and have no hesitation in recommending her as an asset to any team.”
Eagranie Yuh, Vice-President, Society for Technical Communication – Canada West Coast Chapter
My role Information Interview Coordinator
“Our professional organization owes a huge thanks to Karen for proposing the Information Interview Service. It’s one of those simple yet brilliant ideas—pair aspiring writers with seasoned ones. In return for a one-on-one interview, the interviewer makes a small donation to the organization. Karen, one of the organization’s busiest members, took on the project. (In member organizations, if you suggest an idea, it becomes yours to run with.) About a month later she had implemented the service, recruited senior writers, paired writer and student, devised a payment system, created tracking sheets, and even a prepared a follow-up survey. Not only was the IIS well thought out, but by month three, it topped the number of interviews we’d projected for the year. Mature organizations are challenged to attract new members. Karen prodded senior members to do outreach painlessly through the IIS. As a result, more students now come to monthly meetings. The Information Interview Service is an easy model to follow. Karen’s touch gave it flawless execution.”
Pam Drucker, President 2011/12, Society for Technical Communication – Canada West Coast Chapter
Coast Capital Savings Credit Union
My role Documentation Lead – Contractor
“Having responsibility for the integrated program schedule, I met regularly with team leads to get their schedule updates. I found Karen to be well organized and thorough in her work. She was very perceptive in understanding the challenges of the project and the potential impact on her responsibilites. She creatively adapted her approach to her work so that she was able to successfully deliver on her commitments. From a schedule perspective she consistantly tracked on time. I understood from my colleagues on the management team that they were very impressed with her deliverables. Karen is one of those people that once you set her direction you do not need to check on her because she can be relied upon to deliver.”
Garth Day, Sr. Project Manager (Contract), Coast Capital Savings Credit Union
“Karen brings top-notch thinking, writing, and know-how to create and deliver outstanding results. Karen’s breadth of experience, strong business acumen, and proficient technical capabilities have made her a valuable asset to our program. It is without reserve that I recommend and endorse Karen Rempel’s work as a qualifed, reliable, and results-oriented documentation specialist.”
Bruce Duthie, Solution Architect for T24 Banking System Conversion, Coast Capital Savings Credit Union
Rockwell Automation, Inc.
My role Information Developer – Contractor
“Karen did a super job on our manual in spite of coming on with no prior experience with our product, which is rather technical and complex. She was very thorough and careful; I did not worry at all about it. When her contract was over and she passed the completed manual back to me, she gave me a detailed accounting of file locations and issues to watch out for in the next release.”
Top qualities: Great Results, On Time, High Integrity
Lisa Zinzow, Information Developer III, Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Software Ltd.
My role Information Developer – Contractor
“I have had the pleasure and good fortune to work with Karen Rempel frequently over the past 12 years. We worked as peers at Dynapro Systems, and after that, she reported to me as a contractor when I was responsible for the Information Development group here at the Vancouver campus of Rockwell Software (2000 to 2007).
The software products we create here at Rockwell Software, and previously at Dynapro Systems, are used by system integrators to create industrial automation and control applications, and are quite technical. However, Karen always handles anything we give her, even the most difficult assignment, with skill, enthusiasm, and timeliness. Her writing and editing skills are excellent, as well as her grasp of style issues, writing for translation, and other aspects of writing for a global market. In addition to her unflagging professionalism, Karen is a team player, collaborates well with others, and is a sociable and cheerful addition to the team, always.
We hire her back whenever we are able to.”
Top qualities: Great Results, On Time, High Integrity
Sylvia Dodd, Information Development Lead, Rockwell Software
Dynapro Systems Inc.
My role Technical Writer – Contractor
“Karen was hired as a technical writer contractor at Dynapro. She worked diligently in a team environment. Her resulting user manuals turned out excellent. Karen was also very concerned about the usability of the products and provided constructive feedback on improving the user interface of the products. She took the pain to understand the details of the features/products and document it accordingly. She was a great asset to the team and Dynapro.”
Mo Salehmohamed, Program Development Manager, Dynapro Systems
“I worked with Karen during her years as a Technical Writer with Dynapro and Rockwell. During that time, I reviewed several of the user manuals that she has produced and found them to be of excellent quality. Many of the topics in the manuals are very technical, but Karen has the ability to document them, in detail, in a way that end users would easily understand. I have always been impressed with the quality and timeliness of her work. She collaborated very well with the software developers to ensure accuracy and completeness in the features that were being developed for each release.”
David Leung, Software Development Manager, Rockwell Automation
Chancery Software Ltd. (now PowerSchool)
My role Technical Writer – Contractor
“I brought Karen in as a contractor to revamp the documentation supporting Chancery’s software for school libraries. Not being a library scientist, she had to quickly learn the processes and nomenclature involved to transfer the existing “old school” documentation set into a re-contextualized, task-based instructional aid and reference tool, which she did deftly and effectively.
Because of various factors, Karen had to work remotely where email and phone were our primary interaction, and together we were able to complete the project on time and to our projected quality standards which speaks to the discipline and dedication she brought to the table.”
Top qualities: Expert, On Time, High Integrity
Chris Rose, Director, Customer Solutions/User Education, Chancery Software
Computer Associates (then ACCPAC International, Inc., now Sage Group plc)
Position Technical Writer
“I worked with and trained Karen in her first job as a technical writer at Computer Associates. She proved to be a very competent writer and an asset to the company.
More recently, I’ve worked closely with her as a volunteer with our professional association, STC Canada West Coast. During her term as chapter president, Karen demonstrated intelligence, vision, tenacity, a positive attitude, and an ability to inspire and motivate people. She crafted a clear and detailed strategic plan for reinvigorating the chapter, then carefully kept people on track to “live the vision” and make a difference in the community. I look forward to working with Karen in the future.”
Heather Sommerville, Senior Technical Writer and Project Manager, ACCPAC International, Inc.