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Karen’s career of over 27 years in management provided her with rich experiences in both business and social enterprise, and thus a diversity of learning opportunities. She actually commenced work in Retail (at a horribly young age) to support an acting career and simultaneously, an unwell relative. She moved into Commercial Recruitment/HR, then to Internal and External Fraud investigation in Government. From this she returned to the HR and Learning and Development areas and explored leadership, psychology, and most recently the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation and strategic foresight.
She has run program privatization projects, created large social change networks and lobbied for change in structure of organizations. She also has worked with a range of non-profits to develop effective commercial and community initiatives. She went on to create training and change support programs to enhance development, productivity, creativity and especially tolerance in thinking, problem solving and interaction in multi-cultural/generational frameworks.
Some essential studies were needed to enhance this career path and the most recent of these is the Masters of Entrepreneurship & Innovation. In 2008 she is the President of the Swinburne Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Alumni Association, and on the Curriculum Committee for the Swinburne AGSE. In 2008 she is also heading the promotion of Creativity and Innovation Week (and Day) in Victoria - gathering a voluntary team together to promote this concept to raise the profile of Creativity in multiple forums.
Karen's creative skills are very much in seeing hidden issues and connecting this to applications for others in unique and holistic ways. She also rarely works alone, having a natural desire to form project-driven teams and connect like-minds. She also intentionally fails to accept barriers to good ideas. She is resigned to the fact that she is probably more likely to become a true social entrepreneur than a millionaire (unfortunately). Studies and experience have been based in:
- business/management/marketing
- artistic expression
- psychology and psychometric assessment
- people development and counselling
- supporting young people “at risk”
- project design, training design, and new initiative creation
This background means Karen can share unique perspectives on creative thinking in business and within organizations and using her extensive background in dance, singing and some professional acting roles - and can usually create something out of nothing it seems – even in her kitchen or when designing graphics. She is particularly a lover of colour and tonal variations. In her current work and joint research she uses applied psychometrics, and she and the “Creating Change” team work holistically within multi-generational themes to identify paradigms and create – or unlock - new thought processes and structures to improve outcomes. They help leaders and teams define and achieve complex professional goals and target new areas for growth, working alongside a Psychological Educational Consultant to ensure learning outcomes.
Karen and her close colleagues undertake national and international work in consulting, analysis, training and speaking engagements and use uniquely designed, creative and innovative concepts and processes. Karen is at present:
- running her business
- studying
- writing two books
- working on research with a colleague
- raising a seven year old son and supporting a 20 year old university student daughter
- creating two plays - one part written for a youth project, and one extravaganza …
and is working actively to bring business and human interactions closer to the concept of creating beautiful music rather than running with the discordant notes she often finds therein.