Karen Weston to lead Gowrie Victoria as new CEO

Freya Lucas

Feb 12, 2025

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Karen Weston has been announced as the new Chief Executive Officer for Gowrie Victoria.

Ms Weston is an accomplished leader in Australian education who has held executive early childhood leadership roles in both the Victorian and South Australian Departments of Education.

In her most recent role she was the CEO of the Northern Territory Department of Education, and is no stranger to Gowrie Victoria, having worked for the provider in the late 1990s, prior to commencing a career in public service.

“I acknowledge Gowrie Victoria’s proud history of advocating for children and its reputation for delivering high quality early learning, having been part of the team early in my career,” she said.

“The early childhood sector is undergoing significant reform and there is a growing understanding of the importance of early learning in the community. I’m excited to take on this new challenge, to be able to look at new ways for Gowrie to innovate and deliver better outcomes for children and families.”

Central to her leadership perspective and personal mission is Ms Weston’s belief that recognising and appreciating the work that teachers and educators do for children, families and communities is vital.

“Gowrie strongly advocates for the recognition of teachers and educators by investing in their professional development to ensure that we remain committed to delivering high-quality education and care to children and families, and these are values I am proud to embody,” she said.

Gowrie Victoria Chair Mark Burke said the organisation is delighted to have Ms Weston return.

“Karen brings a real depth of experience and credibility from her leadership roles across three public education systems in Australia. We are excited about Karen’s vision for and how she will lead Gowrie through our next exciting chapter” he shared.

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