Fractional Expert & Interim Executive Melbourne, Victoria

Carolyn - Non-Executive Director and Strategic Marketing, Customer and Growth Advisor

At Maestro, we know there’s more to life than work. In fact, it’s the experiences, relationships and pursuits we have outside of work that can often give us an edge in what we do each day. We host an interview series called “Meet the Maestro” where we interview our Maestros and get an insight to who they really are and what makes them tick - beyond the CV.

Carolyn is the kind of advisor who helps leaders see brand and marketing for what it really is when it works at its best: simple, sharp and deeply connected to commercial outcomes. She has a rare ability to step into complexity, cut through competing priorities and strong opinions, and quickly surface the real issue that matters. From there, she turns noise into clarity and clarity into action that actually gets followed.

Her focus is always on what drives real growth, whether that is customer experience, trust, reputation or brand distinction. She is known for connecting marketing to business performance in a way that feels practical and grounded, not theoretical or decorative.

Alongside her advisory work, Carolyn has spent years building and mentoring high-performing teams, opening doors for emerging talent and creating environments where people can do their best work. She leads with the belief that kindness is not soft, it is strategic, and that the strongest cultures are built on trust, clarity and courage.

Her experience spans health, financial services, higher education and sport across Australia and New Zealand, with a track record that includes multiple CMO50 recognitions, Cannes Lions and leadership of award-winning marketing teams. She also brings active governance and advisory experience across sport, education and innovation, always grounded in a clear point of view on what drives growth and what gets in the way of it.

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1. Tell us about a career highlight to date…‍

Winning a Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Outdoor in 2014 – which effectively recognised the best outdoor campaign in the world that year.  That was pretty cool.  The other contenders would be being appointed to the Melbourne Cricket Club Committee in 2023 and being made a Fellow of the UK-based Marketing Academy in 2024.

2. Talk us through an unusual career choice you’ve made along the way…‍

Stepping out of the banking and finance sector after more than 20 years and into the higher education sector.  It felt quite left-field, certainly raised some eyebrows, but it was exactly the right purpose-oriented, growth sector that I wanted to expand my experience set in. ‍

3. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

‍A pharmacist or a vet. I was a maths and science person the whole way through school.  I always thought I’d wear a white coat for a living, but destiny had other plans! ‍

4. What are your passions outside of work and how do you make time for them?‍

So many…my family, friends, good food and wine, walking, footy at the G, film, books, animals, travel, cooking.  The reality is a don’t have time for all of them all of the time, but I’m super-organised and I earmark time in my diary (often well ahead) for the things that matter to me.

5. If you could instantly master any skill or hobby, what would it be and why?

I’d love to write a book (fiction)

6. What’s a personal value or belief that guides the way you live your life?

My mantra: Be visible, Be brave, Be kind

7. What’s a challenge you’ve overcome outside of work that shaped you?‍

Without a doubt the biggest personal challenge that shaped me was losing both my parents, quite unexpectedly, within 10 months of each other in 2018/19.   In grief and a sense of enormous loss I found the courage to make some significant changes, to put myself into the drivers’ seat of the rest of my life, and focus on the things that really mattered to me. 

8. What do you think your job will look like in 10 years time?

As a non-executive director, I believe this role will be as important as ever. Human oversight and governance around organisational strategy, risk and culture will remain imperative.

Marketing roles will no doubt be quite different in the way we work, but I believe that AI will enhance us, not replace us. AI is not a replacement for human imagination, creativity and genuine empathy and care.

9. If you could travel anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would you go and what would you do?

I’d go to Africa on safari – the hard part would be choosing between so many countries, but Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana and South Africa would be right up there.

10. What does success look like to you?

Adding value and remaining true to my values.  This includes having meaningful, deep relationships with mutual trust and respect. 

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