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In Even the Odds, Karen Firestone explains how risk assessment plays a prominent role in all aspects of life. We may all define risk, and our tolerance for it, somewhat differently, but we might all agree it plays a pivotal role in guiding us toward an optimal outcome.As a long-time investment advisor, Firestone has grown accustomed to interpreting risk on a daily basis. She has developed four core tenets of risk-taking we can all apply to anticipating, evaluating, and responding to the risks we face in our business, investing, and personal lives. These tenets are right-sizing; right-timing; relying on skill, knowledge, and experience; and staying skeptical about numbers, promises, and forecasts. Firestone's approach is both practical and accessible to individuals who are making important decisions, such as embarking on new career or life changes, starting or running an enterprise, making a sizable investment, or deciding how to balance across a full portfolio of assets.



About the Author

Karen Firestone

Visit Karen Firestone's website at: http://karenfirestone.com/.

Karen Firestone is president, CEO, and co-founder of Aureus Asset Management, an investment firm dedicated to providing contemporary asset management to families and individuals. Previously, she spent 22 years at Fidelity Investments, most recently as a diversified fund manager of Destiny 1 Fund, the Large Cap Fund, Advisor Large Cap Fund, and several institutional non-profit and pension funds. Prior to that, Karen managed several sector funds, including the Leisure and Entertainment Fund, the Media Fund, Air Transportation Fund, Transportation Fund, Biotechnology Fund, and Health Care Fund. Karen's Fidelity career began in 1983 as an assistant fund manager to Peter Lynch on Magellan Fund. Later, she moved to an analyst role in the research department covering numerous industries. She was twice named to the Institutional Investor Best of the Buy Side All Star team.

Ms. Firestone received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics, magna cum laude, from Harvard College in 1977 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1983. She is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Commonwealth School. She has served on various committees and Task Forces for Harvard University. Ms Firestone is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston. She is a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review (HBR) blog and the author of "Even the Odds: Sensible Risk Taking in Business, Investing, and Life" which comes out in April 2016. Her writings are also at karenfirestoneblog.com.

She lives in Brookline, Massachusetts with her husband, David. They have four grown children, two grandchildren, and two Springer Spaniels. Karen is an avid runner, tennis and bridge player.



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