Kirsten has had a wide and varied career in the public sector and tertiary education. Prior to her role at Arts Queensland, Kirsten had Executive roles at Events Queensland and was Interim CEO overseeing the merger of the entity with Tourism Queensland in early 2013. In this role she was responsible for building the agency's major sports, arts, and festival events.
She is a strong advocate for the economic benefits of the arts and creative industries and has had roles at Screen Queensland (formerly Pacific Film and Television Commission) promoting Queensland as an international and domestic film production destination, and at the University of Queensland as the Commercialisation Manager for the Arts Faculty. Prior to these roles, she headed up the Queensland Government's Investment Attraction team with the Department of State Development.
Kirsten holds a Bachelor of Arts, and a Master of Business Administration. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and in recognition of her contributions to arts policy and cultural tourism, Kirsten was awarded a Public Sector Medal in 2018.