The I2EN staff

Karen Daifuku is Executive Director of the I2EN since January 2022.

She was Deputy Director of the Institute between April 2019 and September 2021, and Acting Director from September to December 2021.

Between 2011 and 2019, Ms. Daifuku, Senior Advisor in the EDF Group, contributed to the strategy for the development of new business and services for embarking countries. From 2016, she developed training offers mainly for ASEAN countries that were in the process of building their human capacity in the nuclear sector. She also advised on nuclear communications and stakeholder involvement activities. She is the inventor of the Nuclear Public Acceptance Game; it provides a didactic, interactive and fun way of communicating the real issues and challenges when trying to gain public acceptance for a new nuclear programme. Ms. Daifuku was also coordinating EDF’s participation in IGOs (IAEA, OECD/NEA) and international organizations. 

Ms. Daifuku has been involved in the work of the IAEA over many years mainly on issues important to embarking countries and is a member of the IAEA Technical Working Group on Nuclear Power Infrastructure.

Between 2009 and 2011, Karen Daifuku was senior advisor in the joint venture between EDF and Enel to build four EPRs in Italy in particular with respect to the communication and stakeholder involvement aspects, working on the conception and implementation of the joint communication plan in support of Italy’s decision to start up a new nuclear energy programme.

From 2004 to 2009, she worked for the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) as Chief of Cabinet, Head of the Central Secretariat, External Relations and Public Affairs.

Prior to her post at the OECD in Paris, she was the European Atomic Forum’s International Affairs and Communications Director from 1999 to 2003 in Brussels, Belgium. *

Prior to her post in Brussels, she was International Communication Manager for EDF beginning in 1990.

From 1977 to 1994, she lived in the United States, worked for the French Embassy in Washington, DC, the George Washington University, and the National League of Cities — a public interest group and congressional lobby in Washington, DC.