Whether conquering the Kokoda Track, blazing a career path taking her from Receptionist to CFO, or overcoming self-limiting beliefs, CPC Engineering’s Chief Financial Officer Karen Haynes is never one to shy away from a challenge.
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2021, all are being asked to #ChooseToChallenge; a message which resonates with Karen.
A qualified CPA with over 25 years’ experience, the last 15 of which have been in Senior Finance and Commercial Management roles across oil and gas, logistics, construction, drilling and engineering services industries, Karen has excelled in her position on CPC’s leadership team where she is responsible for the firm’s statutory reporting, compliance, budgeting, and forecasting.
Having started as a receptionist in a branch office in Geraldton, Karen worked full time while completing her university degree after work each evening. Now the CFO of CPC Engineering, Karen credits self-belief and commitment to achieving her goals for her professional success, and “working in the field she sacrificed so much for” as the reward.
“My biggest challenge has really been my own personal growth and learning that I needed to believe in myself and my abilities,” said Karen Haynes.
“Sometimes this would lead to taking on too much work and responsibility as I felt I needed to prove myself to everyone. It took me some time to understand that I didn’t necessarily need to do that, the quality of my work and my work ethic is what people noticed, not that I was working 70 hours a week.”
This same determination saw Karen conquer the Kokoda track in 2010, which she cites as one of her greatest and proudest achievements.
“I learned a great deal about my strengths and weaknesses during this adventure and at the end of it I earned a greater belief in my own capabilities,” she said.
“This has rung true in my career as well. If I were giving advice to the next generation of accountants, engineers, and other professionals, it’s to be authentic in your approach to the workplace – be true to your own personal brand.”
“You do need to believe in your own abilities but also take the time to grow your knowledge and experience at every opportunity.”
