Generation Australia Announces New CEO
Generation Australia (GA) is proud to announce that the Board of Director’s have appointed Karena Newland as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Malcolm Kinns, who has led the organisation since inception in 2019.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to express our gratitude to Malcolm as our founding CEO, who has established GA as a pre-eminent not-for-profit in the employment space, leading the organisation through a period of significant growth and impact through initiatives aimed at supporting marginalised communities. During his tenure GA has provided life changing experience and employment to over 1,900 job seekers” said John Lydon, Chairman of the Board of Directors.
“We are thrilled to welcome Karena as the new CEO of GA. Her extensive experience in the employment services industry, particularly in adjacent markets, and her proven leadership will be invaluable as she leads GA through its next phase of growth”
Karena joins Generation with an impressive 20 years of experience in the Employment Services Industry, having worked with both not-for-profit and profit-for-purpose organisations.
Recently she served as the CEO of Jobfind and uLaunch, where she played a key role in providing strategic direction and leadership on organisational growth, culture, operations and stakeholder management. The teams she led empowered job seekers, leading to increased employment opportunities, and partnered with employers to meet their recruitment needs across Australia.
In addition to her CEO experience, Karena has held a variety of executive roles, including Chief Operating Officer, National Operations Manager, Executive Manager, People and Culture, as well as Executive Manager Quality and Business Improvement. She has also held a number of Non-Executive Director roles on Boards. Previous to employment services, she held management roles within a number of Federal Government Departments, that last being with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.
“After 5 years of leading GA, I am filled with gratitude for the incredible journey we have shared.” said Malcolm Kinns. “Karena’s wealth of experience and dedication to our mission will propel Generation Australia to even greater heights. I extend my sincere gratitude to our learners, staff, partners, and supporters for their unwavering commitment to our mission.”
Karena shared, “I am extremely excited to step into the Generation Australia CEO role, and lead the GA Team to achieve our mission. I look forward to working with our partners and supporting our participants from varied backgrounds prepare for and enter the labour market, who without our education programs and support may otherwise not gain access to these opportunities.”
As Generation Australia continues its work of transforming education-to-employment pathways, Karena’s leadership promises to build on the organisation’s strong foundation, ensuring it continues to create life-changing career opportunities for vulnerable populations across the country.
About Generation Australia:
Generation Australia delivers education-to-employment programs and ongoing support post-graduation, targeting women, First Nations people, those living with a disability and migrants to this country to help learners fast-track a career path and enter high-demand jobs across various industries.
Founded globally in 2014 with support from McKinsey & Co, Generation now operates in 17 countries and has supported more than 100,000 individuals through its programs.