For several years, Karen Ansen made the commute to Sydney for full-time work, while juggling her law studies and raising two young boys.
Her workplaces were tough, with competitive employees, leaders, and complex industry challenges.
Now with almost two decades of experience in Industrial Relations and Employment Law, Karen has made the leap to begin her own consulting firm – Karen Ansen Consulting.
“I really wanted to build a business that values collaboration, with an emphasis on delivering real value to businesses,” Karen said.
“Now that my children are adults, I can really put everything into this, and it feels great.”
Karen’s experience is nothing to be sneezed at, with one of her many career highlights being her support and advice with the Fair Work Ombudsman on the implementation of Modern Awards and the National Employment Standards.
She also worked on the review of the Modern Awards from 2013-2016.
“It was a juggle because I was wearing so many different hats, but it really showed me what I was capable of, and really grew my skills. Not everyone gets exposed to these kinds of things,” she said.
Karen’s passion for delivering a quality service has earned her a reputation in the industry for creating a safe space for her clients.
She prides herself on being able to help clients mitigate and resolve an array of difficult legal workplace matters.
“I worked in the not-for- profit sector in Employee Relations for many years and learning to work with a no-fuss approach has really helped me in resolving complex issues,” she said.
Now with HR Business Partner, Jamie Sonneveld, Karen is living out her passion for all things people and has been able to structure her business model around individuals that require further HR and Legal support.
“I want to show businesses that you can work really proactively, even after things go awry,” she said.
“It has been a blessing to bring Jamie on-board, as we really complement each other’s skill sets – it’s a great match.”
IMAGE | Director of Karen Ansen Consulting and HR Business Partner, Jamie Sonneveld (left-right).
