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About Heart
Three decades of building things that last.
Heart is led by Karen Clydesdale (KC), who has spent 35 years at the coalface of customer experience in sport, entertainment, health and community.
8 yearsLeading CX strategy at Tennis Australia. Including the AO, driving record attendance and consistently high fan satisfaction.
3 sectorsSectors deep — sport, healthcare and community, plus postgraduate study in Sport Management & Change Management.
FounderRec Link — a national non-profit still delivering sport & recreation to disadvantaged communities.
2,000+Tennis coaches & venues onboarded through the national Cardio Tennis launch.
Further Impact
- Led the human-centred design practice, enhancing end-to-end ticketing and premium experience and delivering major gains in satisfaction and commercial return and Participation initiatives, including online booking programs.
- Designed the customer service program, embedding a member-first service culture across a 12k workforce.
- Established early Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, including Tennis for People with Disability and Women & Girls programs.
- Built Tennis Australia's first national coach membership program from the ground up to 3,500+ members.
Qualifications
- MBA, Change Management — UNSW
- Graduate Diploma, Business & Marketing (Sport Management) — Deakin University
- Degree in Sport & Recreation — Victoria University
- Club Professional Tennis coaching qualifications — Tennis Australia
- Diploma in Nursing — Royal Melbourne Hospital
Organisations
- CXO Board Member, Strativity
- Member, Deakin University Sport Advisory Board
- Member, Sport Business Venue Advisory Panel