WPA Group is a family business that was originally started in 1995 by Karen Penrose and her then business partner Jonathan Watcham, initially focusing on publication solutions for graduate recruitment. During this time the very successful Job Focus series of magazines for final year university students was developed including Focus on Engineering, Focus on IT and Focus on Finance, Business and Law. Other products during this time included Graduate Recruitment Programs, Marketing Campaigns and Recruitment Brochures for many of Australia’s leading companies and government departments.
As technology evolved the WPA Group adapted to this ever changing setting. Starting in a paper based resource environment, the WPA Group has now adapted to producing online and interactive solutions and resources. While the original area of specialisation of the WPA Group was graduate recruitment the focus has, over the years, broadened into catering for a wide range of industry needs in many diverse fields.
Karen was joined first by Robert and then by Briony who each brought with them a diverse range of talents and expertise.
The WPA Group has managed the development, implementation and delivery of all aspects of the Get the life you love Campaign (including National Career Development Week) on behalf of the Career Industry Council of Australia since January 2008.
Karen Penrose is an innovative, creative, solutions oriented manager/communicator with over 25 years experience in a variety of management positions across different industries.
Karen’s background in small business management, human resource management, administration, marketing and event management across the Public Sector (taxation and health), Hospitality, Travel and Tourism, Retail, Aviation and the Printing and Publishing industry sectors is extensive and diverse.
Karen has designed and written publications and articles on corporate products, corporate image, corporate structure, recruitment and career planning that have been nationally praised for their “clarity of subject matter” and “appeal and acceptance by the reading audience” consisting of corporate managers, recruitment specialists, university students, school students, employers, careers advisers, academics, faculty advisers, teachers, industry stakeholders, government and professional bodies.
Karen has written, edited and published national careers and recruitment publications, career factsheets and video resources and organised a variety of events including careers seminars, careers expos for 3500 students, business conferences, forums and seminars for senior government and business executives, international study tours, children’s education and entertainment activities, cocktail functions, etc.
Specifically Karen has created:
Karen has organised:
Karen has negotiated:
Karen’s business philosophy is:
Listen – Be creative and open to flexible solutions – Accept the challenge – Exceed customer and client expectations – Meet and exceed budgets and profit expectations – And smile.
Professional Membership – National Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (NAGCAS).
Robert has a background in Management, Marketing and Communications in the Tourism sector and the Career Industry.
Initially working for Qantas in the training and marketing development area, Robert travelled extensively in Australia and overseas both writing and conducting training for airline staff and retail and wholesale agents.
He then joined the Traveland/Viva Holidays group as regional manager NSW before being promoted to State Manager Queensland.
Robert then transferred to the Murdoch Group UK as General Manager of Convoys UK servicing the media and press arm of the tabloids, BSkyB, Harper Collins publishing and British Aerospace.
Returning to Australia, Robert headed up the de-merger of the ANZ Group to allow the company to focus on their core issues. Upon completion, Robert re-joined the Traveland Group as General Manager Retail managing 425 retail agencies with 1300 staff.
Opting to leave the group in 1995, Robert purchased a number of retail travel agencies, including Glenelg SA and Goulburn NSW ultimately franchising them to the Travelworld/Jetset Group. He continued to successfully manage all aspects of the travel agencies (financial, operational and marketing) until selling in 2009.
Robert then moved into the Career Development field working on the National Career Development Week Project focusing on communications, financial aspects and marketing on behalf of DEEWR (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations) – Federal Government and CICA (Career Industry Council of Australia).
Robert’s extensive success in the retail, tourism and career development industries is due to his logical, analytical and rational approach to business.
Bachelor of Creative Industries (Dance) / Bachelor of Education (Secondary)
Briony has had a varied career starting in the entertainment industry, moving into education and currently working in events and the career motivational industry. From a young age Briony knew her future lay in the dance and performance industry with her becoming an accomplished performer having worked with the Wiggles as ‘Wags the Dog’, performing as a Senior Entertainer at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast for 4 years where her highlights included playing the lead in the ‘SpongeBob Squarepants Show’, Blue in ‘Blue’s Clue’s Live’, touring through Asia as ‘SpongeBob Squarepants’ and ‘Angelica’ from the Rugrats Television show, and playing numerous other characters from Nickelodeon Television. She was also Guest Artist on the cruise ship the Queen Elizabeth II.
Since the age of 12 Briony has trained as a Ballroom Dancer and since turning Professional in 2006 she has been in the top six Professional Ballroom Dancers in Australia. Her career highlights include winning the Professional Latin American at the East Coast Classic National Dancesport Championships, finalist at the Australian Dancesport Championships, winning the Professional New Vogue at the Jupiter’s National Dancesport Championships and being selected to represent Australia in 2010 and 2011 at the WDC (World Dance Council) World Professional 10 Dance Championships.
She is also an accredited coach and travels to Sydney regularly to coach the next generation of competitive dancers.
Briony certainly did not take the ‘normal’ path to achieving higher education. Having left school during year 11 to further her dancing career she found herself with no formal qualification. Deciding to combine her passion for dance with an interest in teaching she started a Bachelor of Dance at the Australian College of Physical Education. After one year she realised that the course wasn’t providing her with the skills she wanted so she started researching and found her dream degree in Brisbane at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Knowing this course was in great demand with hundreds auditioning every year, Briony decided to first enrol in an Advanced Diploma of Dance to improve her technical training. After completing the course she was accepted into the Bachelor of Creative Industries (Dance)/Bachelor of Education at QUT. Upon graduating from QUT Briony moved to Tasmania where she worked at a local high school as a Dance and Drama Teacher where she developed the course structure and curriculum for students from years 7 – 10. She then went on to be a Dance Teacher at Launceston College working with students in years11 and 12.
After moving back to Sydney and working as a full time dance teacher at one of the largest Ballroom studios in NSW and working as a guest choreographer for numerous primary and high schools, Briony was looking for more of a challenge. She was invited to assist on the National Career Development Week (NCDW) stand at the National Careers and Employment Expo where she talked to hundreds of high school students about how to choose the right career path for them. After working at a number of Career Expo’s for NCDW she was approached by the Project Director to take over the role of Event Manager at their Campaign Launch in Melbourne. Briony was then offered the role as Event Manager for the 2011/2012 Get the life you love Campaign (including NCDW). During this time she organised four National Forums, consulted with hundreds of students and adults at Career Expo’s Nationally and developed her own seminar (It’s your life – go for it!) talking about her career journey and how individuals can take charge of their own career.
Through her own journey, Briony has developed a real passion for encouraging everyone to chase their own dreams and she firmly believes that anything is achievable with hard work and the right attitude.
Expanding our expertise by working with Consultants, including:
Jonathan Watcham – Vision Creative Group (Web & App design)
Kirk Lockett – Kirk Lockett Design (Graphic Design)
Andrew McLean – Louder than Words (Multimedia production)
David Russell – LightForce Productions (Film Capture)