Open Minds Welcomes Karen Hale-Robertson as CEO

We’re thrilled to share that after six months in the acting role, Karen Hale-Robertson has officially stepped into the position of Chief Executive Officer at Open Minds!

Karen brings an incredible depth of experience to the role. For more than 15 years, she’s held executive leadership positions in the health and disability sectors, managed Commonwealth-funded programs including mental health, and served as a non-Executive Director for a nonprofit focused on health and community services quality standards.

But what really makes Karen’s leadership special is her personal connection to mental health. She’s supported her mother in caring for her grandmother, who lived with Bipolar Affective Disorder, and has faced the heartbreak of losing immediate family members to suicide at a young age. These experiences give her a unique perspective and a genuine passion for the work we do.

Karen is excited to dive deeper into the mental health service delivery space because she knows how much Open Minds helps people during their toughest times.
Right now, her priority is listening and getting to know the organisation inside and out, understanding the challenges, and working closely with both the Open Minds team and Vertaview Group Shared Services. Her goal? To strengthen collaboration and create a culture where everyone feels challenged, rewarded, and fulfilled.

“Workplace culture is a passion of mine,” Karen shares. “I hope to see our team challenged, rewarded and fulfilled by their roles, and I’m excited to see the team’s aligned passion and commitment to the Open Minds purpose.”

Looking ahead, Karen sees big opportunities thanks to the unprecedented investment from state and federal governments in community mental health services. Her vision is to position Open Minds for strategic growth in integrated mental health services while continuing to deliver on our existing commitments.

And when she’s not leading the charge at Open Minds? You’ll likely find Karen exploring new restaurants or spending time near, on, or in the water with her husband and two beautiful sons.