Karin Paynter is a creative and strategic leader with over 30 years’ experience across the jewellery, silversmithing and wider creative sectors. Vocationally trained as a silversmith and award-winning designer at the Royal College of Art, Karin has led national campaigns and built partnerships with organisations such as the V&A, Georg Jensen and Christie’s, while advising on skills development and policy. Her work is grounded in a long-standing commitment to design excellence and the preservation of British craftsmanship, from grassroots initiatives to board-level strategy.

She has curated and directed high-profile national exhibitions that elevate the visibility and value of British design and craftsmanship. She believes the sector plays a vital role in shaping cultural identity, celebration and national storytelling, from elite sporting trophies to red-carpet jewellery and major public events. Her work seeks to ensure the sector remains a visible and valued part of the UK’s cultural fabric, while supporting the makers and professionals who sustain it.

Karin currently serves on several boards and advisory panels, including as a trustee of the newly established Goldsmiths’ Foundation and as a member of the UK JSAC Roundtable. In 2024, she joined colleagues from the Roundtable in presenting to the Shadow Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, calling for a coordinated national approach to craft skills and strengthened sector-wide data gathering.

Beyond craft and design, Karin is a founding member and Director of ERA5050, a national campaign for gender equality in British stage and screen. Partnering with Equity, the BFI and the Geena Davis Institute, the campaign combined advocacy and media strategy to drive cultural change. In 2018 presented to 200 entertinment industry professionals at BAFTA alongside Polly Kemp, Elizabeth Berrington, Olivia Colman, Miles Jupp, Tanya Moodie and Doon Mackichan. The campaign went on to win a What’s on Stage Award for its contributions in 2020.