Australia's highest ranked police woman, NSW Deputy Commissioner for Corporate Services Catherine Burn, has been named the 2011 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year.
Ms Burn has risen up the ranks after joining the NSW Police Force as a 19-year-old in 1984 and manages a $2.7 billion budget with responsibility for ensuring the 16,000 police officers and 4,000 support staff have the resources and capabilities to do their jobs.
The first NSW woman to win the top Award in its 17-year history, Ms Burn spent much of her career in criminal investigation before assuming challenging operational commands in Burwood in 2002, Redfern after the Redfern Riots in 2005, and Sydney's Central Metropolitan Region in 2006.
Promoted to her current role as one of three Deputy Commissioners in 2010, Ms Burn manages police assets including 1400 properties and 3600 vehicles, and is responsible for finance and business services, human resources, technology and education and training including the Police Academy.
In 2008 she launched a cultural change program that achieved significant results including a reduction in complaints against the police, improved victim follow-up and increased community confidence in police.
Coming from a family with sixteen brothers and sisters - including step-siblings - Ms Burn describes herself as "extremely resilient and fiercely determined to improve community safety and satisfaction in police."
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