Craveable Brands celebrate the women in their business. Photo by Bianca De Marchi/The Photo Pitch
We’d like to introduce you to Craveable Brands’ calm, focused and driven Group CEO, Karen Bozic.
Karen is an experienced executive with over 20 years exposure to the franchising industry. With a background in finance, strategy and operations, she’s worked with Australia’s biggest brands including Rebel Sport, Woolworths and Caltex.
Karen’s first leadership role came as CFO at Rebel Sport. After Rebel, Karen joined Woolworths where she wore many hats under many roles. Karen then moved to Caltex, where she ran the service station network before finding her way to Group CEO at Craveable Brands.
Karen says she was empowered to succeed through a network of mentors. “I have been lucky to have people who have helped me see things in myself that I couldn’t, or doubted,” says Karen.
Karen believes being a people person and a good listener are important qualities of a good leader. “You need to put the team’s and the business interests ahead of your own. Also, try to be generous with your time.” says Karen. “You need to be a good collaborator and facilitator. You need to be agile, flexible and curious as well as approachable and calm under pressure.”
The biggest challenges she faced, she says, are within herself. “I’ve learnt to have confidence in myself, embrace and own what I am good at, and continue to work on things that I can do better,” she says. Along with being a leader in the workplace, Karen is a married mum of three. Juggling her career and family, she’s learned not to sweat the small stuff.
As a woman in leadership, Karen is used to being one of few women in a room of predominantly men. “It’s a dynamic that can be difficult to navigate and one that requires real confidence to back yourself,” she says.
Championing more women into the boardroom can be achieved on many fronts, Karen believes. “Potential women leaders need good sponsorship by other senior leaders in the business to advocate for them,” she says. “Women can be less forthright in putting themselves forward for opportunities. They might just need a nudge from someone who believes in them.”
The payoffs of increased diversity are huge, says Karen. “Having a team that more accurately reflects the cross-section of society is good for customers and business,” Karen says. “Shared learning and diversity of thought always derives better outcomes.”
To anyone on the rise in their career, Karen has sound advice – “Make good connections. Look for opportunities within your organisation to try something different. Stretch your capability and learn new skills. Seek regular feedback about what you do well and what you need to continue to work on.”