Dear Members,
I am starting a new series called member spotlight to introduce to all of you the diversity of journeys, experience and talent that we have in our membership. For the month of May we are introducing Karen Howard a new member who has a wealth of experience in a multitude of business segments and is now at the beginning of her dispute resolution journey.
Name: Karen Howard
Position: Founder/Managing Director
Company: Mediation First
Briefly describe your career journey
- After a decade working at a senior level within the public sector, in 1999 I established my first small business, and since then have founded and scaled a number of successful small businesses predominantly within the professional services, tourism and hospitality industries.
- I am a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and for over 22 years I have been serving as an accomplished Non-executive Director and Board Chair for not-for-profit, government and charity organisations. I have worked with people from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds and taken great pleasure in bringing divergent views around the boardroom table to consensus.
Accomplishments
- I have successfully established, scaled and sold a number of businesses over the past 20+ years and enjoy seeing the new owners build on the solid foundations and take those businesses to greater heights.
- Deciding to add to my existing skills and undertake mediation accreditation was a real accomplishment for it had been many years since I'd formally studied, and whilst running successful businesses certainly brings its challenges, there's something to be said for retraining in an entirely new industry, during a pandemic.
- Notwithstanding, I absolutely loved the mediation accreditation process that I successfully achieved at the start of 2020 so much, that I'm now halfway through a Graduate Diploma in Family Dispute Resolution.
- During my business and board careers I've seen too much unresolved conflict evolve into situations where even the parties are left wondering how on earth they ended up in serious dispute and surrounded by lawyers at ten paces. This has motivated me to be an active contributor to the dispute resolution sector.
Share a piece of career advice
- "No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you're still miles ahead of everyone who isn't" - Tony Robbins.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
- My priority is my family and I'm very fortunate to be in a position now where I have generous work–life balance and can be professionally content as well as a great wife/mother (I hope!). Our favourite family activities are to travel and enjoy new hospitality experiences around our beautiful country.
Community question
If you could ask other mediators in the room one question, what would it be?
- How are you helping aspiring mediators? I've been really lucky to be assisted with achieving my practicum by the generosity of experienced mediators and FDRPs to help me, but it took a lot of tenacity to uncover these.
