Karmen Bennett

Over the past 20 years, Karmen has worked with stakeholders in the public health and agricultural research for development sectors. She has worked in more than 30 countries and across many cultures and disciplines. She has a deep commitment to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and the fundamental principle of leaving no one behind.

Karmen previously served as the global director of governance and assurance for CGIAR. CGIAR is a global partnership working on science and innovation that advances the transformation of food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis.

Before joining CGIAR in early 2015, she worked at the Global Fund – an organisation working to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Over a twelve-year period, she held progressively senior roles focused on effective governance and management of systems and financing.

Her board-level experience includes nine years serving as a board member for IVCC – an innovative product development partnership working to prevent malaria and other vector-borne diseases. She also served as IVCC’s representative on the audit committee of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in 2019.

Karmen holds an honours degree in law, together with a combined degree in political science and public administration from the University of Tasmania. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and the Australian Institute of Management.