{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F8ecb7991-d588-4ca7-a9a6-ed3b0bf29fba","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"Career Change: Switching Sectors, Industries, and Countries - with Karen James (Ep 60)","description":"Karen James is the CEO of Business for Development and one of Australia's most well-loved businesswomen. Her vast network and her support of women in the corporate and SME sectors has been a hallmark of her relentless work advocating for women during her time working as a senior executive in the Australian banking sector and her ongoing engagement with Business Chicks, a professional association for women.\nKaren has an amazing professional story to tell. Her career took many turns over the years, and she has embraced change, risk, and novelty along the way. Listen as she describes her career transitions, and give tips and advice to those who are willing to embrace career change as well.\n \nAbout our guest, Karen James: \nWith a background in Systems Thinking and Engineering, Karen James (KJ) has a unique talent for unpacking complex issues with companies to determine strategic opportunities. Her work with clients has enabled them to define and bring to life their purpose, vision, and strategy, with a strong focus on execution. KJ\u2019s strengths lie in facilitating dialogue with various stakeholders and broker partnerships between organizations to achieve shared value.\nKJ started her career in providing technical solutions for the European and Asia Pacific markets. Over time this led her to work for Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), taking on responsibility for Corporate Financial Services\u2019 strategy and operations. Given her personal commitment to changing the way businesses tackle sustainability, KJ founded CBA\u2019s Women in Focus community, which supports women in developing their businesses, providing connections and access to the latest tools, practical guidance, and insights to guide them on their business journey.\nShe also worked with the bank to develop and execute strategies for Community Business Finance. She led the Vision & Leadership Program at CBA, which resulted in analyzing The Hunger Project\u2019s strategies at tackling complex issues with McKinsey and incorporated those learnings into the bank's own strategic approaches.\nIn 2014 Wiley International published KJ\u2019s book On Purpose \u2013 a business book for people who want to steer their work back on course, with purpose leading the way \u2013 and started a consulting business. Key projects include building a new FinTech business in Ireland; developing an Indigenous language revival platform for the Federal Government; and working as an advisor to the CEO of a finance company, working to change the culture.\nKJ achieved her Masters in Environmental Engineering at the University of Sydney and earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Hartford, where she studied Electrical Engineering.\n \nTimestamps:\n05:29 \u2013 How to lead a team during a pandemic\n09:51 \u2013 Karen\u2019s career journey\n17:47 \u2013 Thanking the people who helped us in our career\n20:21 \u2013 How Karen and Renata met\n23:23 \u2013 Karen\u2019s key strengths that helped her career transitions\n26:09 \u2013 Poor house concept\n28:41 \u2013 Living life on purpose\n31:03 \u2013 Photos in Papua New Guinea\n32:08 \u2013 What Karen has learned from her career transitions\n36:33 \u2013 Interview process for not-for-profits\n42:41 \u2013 Importance of your network\n44:59 \u2013 Advice for introverts\n49:06 \u2013 Advice for people in between jobs\n54:42 \u2013 A bit about the NGO Business for Development\n \nLinks mentioned in this episode:\nNGO: Business for Development\nWomen in Focus by CBA\nKaren\u2018s book: On Purpose: Why great leaders start with the PLOT, by Karen James\nGlennon Doyle\u2019s book Untamed\nDownload a transcript of this episode\n \nPeople mentioned in this episode:\nMelissa Browne\nWendy McCarthy\nProfessor Muhammad Yunus\nOlivia Ruello\n \nAbout your host:\nHello, I'm Renata Bernarde, the Host of The Job Hunting Podcast. I'm also an executive coach, job hunting expert, and career strategist. I teach corporate, non-profit, and public professionals the steps and frameworks to help them find great jobs, change, and advance their careers with confidence and less stress. \nSubscribe to the weekly","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/de951223-7057-46eb-a6f9-097ad17d2c7b/_AoUVndq1J4bFzs_GLsHK7do.jpg"}