Maree Faulker

Maree Faulkner has over 25 years experience in senior and chief executive roles across the commercial, government and not-for-profit sectors. Throughout her career, whether managing a small consultancy business or leading a service organisation with over 6,000 employees, Maree has been constantly aware of the importance of workforce diversity and the value of the transfer of knowledge and skills between generations.

Having returned to Canberra from Sydney, Maree Faulkner is currently National Manager for Comcar, a division within the Department of Finance and Deregulation of the Australian Government following the role of CEO of NAPCAN, a national charitable organization.

In the mid 1980s, as the founding Director of the Commonwealth Office for the Aged, Maree had responsibility for provision of strategic advice to government on the impact of the ageing of Australia's population.

"It was apparent, even then, that the traditional concepts of retirement and "old age" would not serve us well in the new century and that new paradigms of workforce participation and transition to retirement would be required."

Later, as the Managing Consultant of a search and selection firm working in the IT&T sector, Maree encountered the issues faced by both organisations and individuals in overcoming the limitations of generational stereotyping. "Far too frequently, preconceived and ill-founded notions of age appropriateness have prevented the best use of knowledge and talent for mutual benefit."

Other key roles which have contributed to Maree's knowledge and expertise in this area have been that of Director National Co-ordination for the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission and Chief Executive (NSW) of The CEO Institute, a professional development and peer support organisation with a membership of over 700 CEOs and MDs nationally.

"An appreciation of the value of age diversity and an understanding of, and commitment to, the systemic and cultural changes required to achieve it will increasingly be the hallmark of a successful organisation."