Dr Mia Carbon: Biosecurity, Career Transition, Adaptability
This week's guest is Dr Mia Carbon, Deputy Director General of Biosecurity and Emergency Management for Western Australia — or, as she describes it, part of the team responsible for protecting one of the world's most unique environments. From training as a vet and working in rural Victoria and the UK, to a pivotal move into public policy, to leading one of WA's most complex government roles, Mia's career has been shaped by curiosity, values, and a willingness to make hard calls at every stage.
In this episode:
- What biosecurity really means for Western Australia — and why the state's scale makes it unlike anywhere else in the world
- The ethical turning point that led her away from clinical veterinary work
- Stepping into a senior executive role on the day three government departments were being merged into one
- Why she withdrew from a senior role at finalist stage — and what she learned from it
- How attending nine schools growing up shaped her adaptability and resilience
- How being a parent has influenced the decisions she's made throughout her career
- Her approach to leadership and navigating complexity in the public sector
Mia's insight on leadership: "In any leadership role, as you go up, you can do less. You absolutely cannot get it all done yourself. The skill as a leader is being able to bring all of those different threads together and knowing how to get them to work together to achieve what you need to achieve."
The proverb Mia lives by: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
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Career Stories is brought to you by The Career Library.
Career Stories is brought to you by The Career Library.
Creators and Guests
Host
Dr Luella Forbes
Dr Luella Forbes is a consultant specialising in Organisational Change and founder of The Career Library and it's podcast, Career Stories.
Guest
Mia Carbon
With over a decade of executive level experience in leading and managing complex multi-functional teams to deliver policy, regulatory, operational and organisational outcomes for the benefit of industries and communities. I pride myself on combining excellent leadership with my scientific background to bring stakeholders along and deliver lasting outcomes.
