Karen brings over 20 years of leadership, training, and career development experience shaped by her service in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Coming from a proud military family, she joined the RAAF at 18 and went on to achieve several career milestones, including promotion to Warrant Officer, participating in an overseas RAF–RAAF exchange program, and becoming the first RAAF woman to lead an all-female flight on a Battle of Britain parade.
Throughout her military career, Karen worked extensively in training, education and recruitment roles, supporting ADF members as they prepared to transition to civilian careers. Since leaving the RAAF, she has held senior HR, recruitment, and career development roles across Emergency Services, Engineering, Utilities, Mining, and the Not-for-Profit sector. She previously worked at Aurecon as their Diversity Recruitment and Careers Manager, leading inclusive recruitment strategies and early careers initiatives supporting the engineering and project management workforce.
Karen has also designed and delivered engaging, job-ready workshops on behalf of Soldier On to veterans and their family members across Australia, helping them build confidence and capability for civilian employment. A passionate advocate for the veteran community, she previously held a long-standing role as a Board Director at her local RSL and continues her connection with Soldier On as an Ambassador.