Building Leaders, Building Community Meet Kerry Clow, President of Cassowary Coast Business Women's Network

Kerry Clow has been re-elected for a fourth term as President of the Cassowary Coast Business Women's Network, continuing her commitment to supporting women in business across the region. Photo source: CCBWN

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Some people build careers, while others build communities, and Kerry Clow has spent more than two decades doing both. Over the course of her career rich in leadership development, organisational culture and employee relations across Australia and New Zealand, Ms Clow has helped people become stronger leaders while empowering women in business across the region to build confidence, connection and opportunity.

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Since moving to the Cassowary Coast in the early 2000s, Ms Clow has become one of the driving forces behind the Cassowary Coast Business Women's Network (CCBWN), an organisation she credits with helping her establish a strong supportnetwork and quickly feel at home.

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"In my career, I had mainly worked for big organisations that offered me professional development and connections, and I felt that the CCBWN was a great conduit to connect women working in small business or being self-employed in this regional area."

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Ms Clow said her passion for leadership was shaped while working on major construction projects, where she witnessed first-hand that people and culture were just as critical to success as engineering and construction.

"I had the privilege of working with some amazing mentors and being involved in large projects that focused on the 'people' issues with the same priorities as the engineering and construction," she said.

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"It became so evident that effective leadership was fundamental to those successes that I immersed myself in understanding what makes great leaders, before ultimately delivering programs to help organisations develop leadership capability within their teams."

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Although now semi-retired, Ms Clow continues to work with organisations in leadership development, team building and recruitment.

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"Leadership is necessary at every level. Never judge who has the ability to lead, and emotional intelligence is key," she said.

"It has been very rewarding to work with people over many years, seeing them grow from first-time leaders into senior leadership roles and knowing I may have played a small part in that journey."

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Recently re-elected for a fourth term as CCBWN President, Ms Clow has helped transform the organisation into one of the region's leading voices for business, with membership growing from fewer than 50 to 80 women.

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Now, the CCBWN exists as one of the Cassowary Coast's leading business organisations, representing local women in business while contributing to regional reference groups that share valuable industry insights with members.

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"There clearly is a need for building connections for professional like-minded women that the CCBWN fills," Ms Clow said.

"The CCBWN was established 22 years ago [under a different title] and has continued to grow into a network that creates a space for women to learn from, support and encourage one another, while celebrating each other's successes."

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While CCBWN’s membership has almost doubled during her time as President, Ms Clow believes the network's greatest strength lies in the diversity of its members, and looking ahead, she hopes more women will step forward to take on leadership roles and help shape its future.

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"The value of the network continuing to grow is that our membership becomes more diverse. There are some amazing backgrounds, skills and stories within the group, and the CCBWN provides a space for those to be heard and celebrated,” she said.

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"If anyone is thinking about taking on the role next year, I'd encourage them to come along, see what we do and get involved. If you have good communication skills, initiative and a genuine interest in continuing the legacy of the CCBWN, all the systems and procedures are in place, with an Alumni group and Executive Team ready to support you."