About Sarah

About Sarah

Sarah is a visionary, enthusiastic, motivational leader inspiring the achievement of exceptional results. 

Sarah has had extensive experience in business management, governance and strategic growth and development in the family, private, franchise, not-for-profit and government sectors.

Currently Sarah is Managing Director of Cariblue, her family-owned consulting and advisory business since 2006 which she built to a team of 6 operating nationally before downsizing to spend more time on other interests, including accepting the role a Chair of a small family property company governed by the second generation.  She is an accredited facilitator with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), where over 12 years she has facilitated over 300 courses and developed their governance course for small, medium and family businesses; it is a part of her career she really enjoys.

She has a passionate interest in history, the environment, flora and fauna and is currently an enthusiastic observer for Australia’s Living Atlas with over 5,000 observations of native flora and fauna through iNaturalist on the family’s property. She volunteers with Tweed Wildlife Carers, and is a member of Friends of the Koala as she records koalas and Joeys on their property which is a Land for Wildlife Property, and is a member of Landcare. 

A keen expeditioner, she and her husband Darryl (who she met on an expedition in Kenya while volunteering as a staff member) have done significant 4WD trips all over Australia, love regional and remote Australia, recently upgrading their roof top tent to a 4WD camper trailer as they continue to go exploring this wonderful country. She and Darryl have two grandchildren, help care for elderly parents and return to visit her family in Barbados and her sister and family in Scotland, regularly. 

Previously Sarah has been a Director of an Australian franchisor of an international franchise which she brought to Australia and managed with both her daughters working with her in different roles; chair of a Not for Profit focusing on entrepreneurial education; a board member of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary; a member of the Franchise Council of Australia’s Queensland Committee and other industry committees. She has also been CEO of Australia’s largest bookkeeping franchise, First Class Accounts. Prior to this she worked in Economic Development in both industry development and geographic area development; business advisory roles with the state government and the Queensland Small Business Corporation where she was involved in both advising business and developing and delivering training for small businesses. However, her introduction into family business and not for profit organisations was before moving to Australia from Barbados were she worked as a second generation member of the family’s business Best of Barbados for 7 years becoming a Director during that time; the Barbados National Trust Council and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Committee in Barbados, both of which she was an active volunteer in.

Sarah has an MBA, a Bachelor of Arts in Accountancy and Finance, is a Graduate of the Company Directors Course and is a Certified Developer of Enterprise.

Sarah was the 2012 Australian Institute of Management’s Management Excellence Awards “Owner Manager of the Year” for the Gold Coast and the 2013 Queensland/Northern Territory “Franchise Woman of the Year”.