Worldwide Who's Who Names Karen Carmichael, Director of Procurement, Professional of the Year in Financial Management

    WEST PYMBLE, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA, March 9, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Karen Carmichael, Director of Procurement for SingTel Optus Pty Limited, has been named a Worldwide Who's Who Professional of the Year in Financial Management. While inclusion in Worldwide Who's Who is an honor, only a small selection of members in each discipline are chosen for this distinction. These special honorees are distinguished based on their professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, years of service, and the credentials they have provided in association with their Worldwide Who's Who membership.

Karen Carmichael is an executive with a quick mind and a strong heart. Currently the Director of Procurement for SingTel Optus Pty Limited, a leading-edge telecommunications provider in Australia, Karen has established a diverse career over the past 28 years, representing a wealth of experience across many industries, including retail, manufacturing, engineering, and telecommunications.

Karen is all about making a difference. In her current role, which she has held since 2010, Ms. Carmichael is leading a significant Transformation program aimed at establishing a world class Procurement function for Optus. Her vast commercial experience across the organisation's many operations has enabled her to drive key process and capability improvements that are focused on realising the Optus' vision to lead in Customer Experience.

Ms. Carmichael's career has a firm foundation in customer service. Following completion of Grace Bros's management cadet program in the 80's, Karen went on to establish the Customer Service operation for Mitsubishi Electric Australia. Karen continued on to run several customer service and retail operations for some well known Australian corporate companies, including Freedom Furniture and Schwartzkopf during the 80's.

In the early nineties, she completed a Bachelor of Finance and Accounting at the University of Technology, Sydney, and graduated with High Distinction. A certified practising accountant, Ms. Carmichael has developed extensive expertise in strategic and commercial management and has overseen the financial management of company divisions worth over $AUD200 million.

Over the past 15 years she has held many critical commercial roles, incorporating her diverse finance capability in financial control, budgeting, capital planning and management, business case analysis, investment analysis, business planning and forecasting, system development, process engineering, project management, contract negotiation, management accounting & financial reporting. Karen is that unique individual who can think big picture but also deliver detailed outcomes. Her ability to inspire people to a vision, and then help them get there has been the driving force behind her success. Prior to moving into her current role, she was employed as Commercial Director for the Information Technology Division of SingTel Optus for over five years, where she successfully managed cost efficiencies which reduced costs by more than 30%.

Karen's passion for making a difference extends beyond the corporate world and she is strongly committed to working with the underprivileged and less fortunate of our society. In 2008, she was awarded NSW Corporate Volunteer of the Year for her work with high school students in the disadvantaged areas of Sydney through the Australian Business and Community Network.

She has also contributed significantly to many community and charity organisations through the voluntary provision of her management and financial skills. She is engaged in the professional community through her active membership in organizations which include the Australian Institute of Management.

Outside of work, Karen enjoys the arts, having spent many of her earlier years performing in amateur theatre groups. She attributes the unique creativity she brings to her work to her roots in music and drama.

Karen aspires to work more closely with not-for-profit organisations in either a CEO or Board capacity and so further integrate her corporate expertise with her passion for making a difference where it matters most.

For more information about SingTel Optus Pty Limited, visit https://www.optus.com.au.

About Worldwide Who's Who
With over 500,000 members representing every major industry, Worldwide Who's Who is a powerful networking resource that enables professionals to outshine their competition, in part through effective branding and marketing. Worldwide Who's Who employs similar public relations techniques to those utilized by Fortune 500 companies, making them cost-effective for members who seek to take advantage of its career enhancement and business advancement services.

Worldwide Who's Who membership provides individuals with a valuable third-party endorsement of their accomplishments, and gives them the tools needed to brand themselves and their businesses effectively. In addition to publishing biographies in print and electronic form, it offers an online networking platform where members can establish new professional relationships.

For more information, please visit http://www.worldwidewhoswho.com.

Contact:
Ellen Campbell
Director, Media Relations
[email protected]

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