Caroline Baum
Author, journalist, broadcaster, producer, moderator
Profile
Caroline Baum, as the first Ambassador for the Older Women’s Network in NSW (2018-2023), grew the membership and boosted the organisation’s profile by hosting public forums and events centred around concerns such as poverty, homelessness, domestic violence, and ageing well.
In 2022, she created and curated True Story, a unique yearly two-day festival of non-fiction, in partnership with the South Coast Writers Centre and the Illawarra Flame (local newspaper). As Artistic Director, she oversees all programming.
During the federal election in 2022, she worked for Senate candidate Jane Caro as part of her communications team. Her responsibilities included organizing online forums and public events, preparing briefing notes, and creating talking points for speeches.
In 2021, she created Life Sentences, a podcast dedicated to contemporary biography. The podcast now boasts an archive of more than 50 episodes and a devoted audience.
In her role as Editorial Director of Booktopia (2014-2018), she helped the company achieve market share and boosted sales by more than 20 per cent in a challenging environment. Her editorial newsletter reached 300,000 readers/subscribers.
She has a broad range of experience in communications and journalism, including roles as Features Editor for Vogue Australia (commissioning the first guest-edited issue by Baz Luhrmann), Presenter and Producer for ABC TV and Radio (hosting a weekly prime-time factual show for ABC TV for two and a half years), and work for Foxtel. She has also written for the Sydney Morning Herald, the Guardian, and The Griffith Review, among others.
In 2017, her memoir, “ONLY: A Singular Memoir,” was published by Allen and Unwin.
In 2015, she was awarded the Hazel Rowley Fellowship for memoir and biography.
Her life writing has appeared in collections such as “Rebellious Daughters” and “My Mother, My Father,” as well as in publications like The Good Weekend.
Feedback
Working with Caroline Baum brings so much value. I have seen her in action in many ways. As Chair of the Four Winds Festival, Caroline has collaborated with us to imagine, design and facilitate a range of events in a diverse range of settings. To do public forums requires courage and confidence, with an openness and genuine curiosity about the issues and the people participating, and this is why we want her back. Despite preparation, for which Caroline is extremely thorough, anything can happen in the dynamic of a live event and I will continue to engage Caroline for our events as I have witnessed her adapt to many unpredictable circumstances, and not get lost or revert to just managing the event. In fact her experience is unveiled in the difficult and beautiful experiences which live events throw at you, She can be challenging, playful, curious, insightful and passionate, all in the one event. She is a facilitator, interviewer, MC, host and delightful chair... call it what you wish but it works.
As an MC, Caroline brings her unique combination of warmth, professionalism and fresh energy to the stage. She tailors her style to ensure it's just right for the audience. Her thorough preparation combined with her thoughtful curiosity brings out the very best in the people she interviews. I've been privileged to work with the highest calibre of moderators and Caroline is exceptional. I would highly recommend her for an event.
No matter the brief, Caroline Baum hits the ground running: she brings her genuine curiosity to the subject, and is always super prepared, allowing speakers on panels to shine and feel safe in her capable hands. I’ve asked her to moderate conversations on traditional foods and sustainable practices, and honouring female elders and leaders and she has always delivered with warmth, tact and humility, with a strong sense of the audience she is speaking to. Engaging Caroline as a facilitator makes everyone else look good.
Caroline Baum is the consummate professional as a facilitator and moderator. When she takes on a brief, she brings her full commitment to the event and goes above and beyond to research all the relevant information . She has moderated seminars on domestic violence, elder abuse, ageism, healthy ageing, to name but a few. Caroline has the experience and skill to put speakers at ease. She is tactful and sensitive to her task, but is also prepared to ask the awkward questions people really want answers to. Her warmth, empathy and sense of humour can defuse any anxiety or apprehension in speakers who are nervous. Her moderation is always well received as her interviewing skills are second to none.
Caroline immersed herself into Lend Lease very quickly, soon becoming ‘one of us’ and in doing so, brought authenticity, empathy and humour to our Forum. While Caroline was always professional and expertly prepared, she was equally willing and highly capable of thinking on her feet, and of maintaining flexibility. She quickly endeared herself to our delegates - so did a wonderful job navigating us through our Forum with credibility and style. A delight to work with on all levels!
