Kelly Howard is Co-Founder and Director of C3Talent and one of Queensland’s most respected executive recruitment specialists, with nearly 30 years’ experience advising organisations on the appointment of exceptional leaders across Executive, C-suite, Senior Accounting and People & Culture functions.

Known for her honesty, deep networks and genuine ability to connect with people, Kelly has built a reputation as a trusted advisor to both clients and candidates. She does far more than fill roles — she partners with organisations to shape leadership capability, support meaningful change and help secure the talent that drives long-term impact.

Across her career, Kelly has worked with blue-chip corporates, privately owned businesses, government-owned entities and not-for-profit organisations, recruiting across sectors including agribusiness, education, mining, retail, healthcare and human services. She is particularly passionate about the human services and community sectors, where much of her work has been focused in the last 5 years, driven by a strong belief that the right leadership can transform organisations, strengthen communities and improve lives.

Before co-founding C3Talent, Kelly successfully ran her own boutique recruitment business for a decade and previously held senior roles in executive recruitment and key account management with one of Queensland’s leading agencies. That breadth of experience, combined with her market knowledge and ability to connect with the right local leaders in Queensland, enables her to deliver commercially astute advice, thoughtful search strategies and highly aligned appointment outcomes.

Born and raised in Brisbane, Kelly holds a Bachelor of Education from QUT and began her career as a teacher, a grounding that continues to shape her approach today: relational, grounded, intuitive and deeply people-focused.

What drives Kelly is simple — she believes recruitment, when done well, makes impactful change for both a person’s life and the team they join. She is passionate about creating those moments of positive change, advocating for marginalised groups, supporting the advancement of women and hoping organisations find leaders who not only perform, but truly make a difference.

Specialises in
Executive | Management | Senior Accounting | People & Culture

Known for
Honest advice | Deep networks | Trusted partnerships

Outside of work 

Kelly is passionate about her three fur babies, enjoys spending time with family and loves to travel.