Carolyn Creswell

Carolyn Creswell, the founder of Carman’s Kitchen, exemplifies inspirational leadership by demonstrating that it is possible to manage a multinational business while maintaining a genuine work-life balance.

In 1992, as an 18-year-old university student, Carolyn acquired a small muesli business for $1,000, which marked the inception of Carman’s. Over the past 32 years, Carman’s Kitchen has evolved into Australia’s leading muesli brand and a market leader in healthy snacks, driven by continuous innovation and improvement.

From modest beginnings, where Carolyn would park her small Daewoo alongside semi-trailers in supermarket loading docks, her determination and commitment to producing quality products using whole foods have enabled Carman’s to establish a strong global presence, exporting to over 30 countries.

Carolyn’s dedication to healthy food made from real ingredients has solidified Carman’s reputation as a trustworthy food brand, embodying the ethos of real food made with real passion.

As a mother of four children, Carolyn understands the importance of providing nourishing foods for her family, a principle she applies to every Carman’s recipe.

Calling the Carman’s crew her “second family” Carolyn put them at the forefront of her mind when designing the new office that the business moved into in 2018. Now one of the most enviable working spaces in Australia, Carman’s HQ offers its employees access to a gym, yoga studio, sauna and massage room, free barista-made coffee and on-site chef.

Her business acumen has earned her numerous accolades, including the 2007 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the 2012 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year.