Charismatic Carren to helm VenuesWest

Article posted by Coliseum, January 16^th, 2026

Image: VenuesWest on LinkedIn

Following a competitive national recruitment process VenuesWest has announced the successful appointment of its new Chief Executive Officer Janis Carren.

‘venueswest.wa.gov.au’ stated that Carren is currently the head honcho of the WA Arts and Culture Trust and brings with her a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of VenuesWest’s vision and values.

Carren previously played a pivotal role in shaping VenuesWest’s strategic direction for nearly 15 years as Director of Strategy and Partnerships, championing high performance sport and overseeing major contracts including those which manage the 65,000-capacity Optus Stadium in Burswood, Australia, and the 15,500 RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

VenuesWest Chair Mary Anne Stephens commented on Carren’s return, “Janis is an admired and respected leader whose commitment and insight have already left a lasting impact on VenuesWest. We are absolutely delighted to welcome Janis back to VenuesWest as our new CEO. Her outstanding strategic capability, great people management, strong business acumen, and passion for our vision ensure that VenuesWest’s future will be in exceptionally capable hands.”

‘venueswest.wa.gov.au’ further stated that Carren succeeds outgoing CEO David Etherton who has led the organisation for the past 18 years through a period of sustained growth and consistently high business performance.

David Etherton added, “Having worked closely with Janis for more than two decades at VenuesWest and Tourism WA plus seeing her approach at the Arts & Culture Trust I am confident that Janis will be an outstanding CEO for VenuesWest. The best strategist I have ever worked with, Janis is also great with staff and stakeholders and brings strong Venue Management leadership experience to the role.”

Carren will join VenuesWest in March 2026 and will lead VenuesWest through what is expected to be another period of sustained growth over the next five years.

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