Karen Synon

Karen Margaret Synon (born 15 September 1959) is an Australian public servant and former politician. She served as a Senator for Victoria from 1997 to 1999, representing the Liberal Party. She was appointed to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in 2015.

Early life Synon was born in Moe, Victoria. She attended Blackburn South High School and Whitehorse Technical School, later completing an MBA at the University of Melbourne.

In 1986, Synon established the Westgate Community Initiatives Group, a non-profit employment services provider based in Melbourne's western suburbs. She served as general manager until 1993, when she took up a position with the Victorian government as director of employment in the Department of State Development. She was an ally of Liberal powerbroker Michael Kroger, whom she first met in the Young Liberals during the 1970s.

Later career Synon was appointed to the Refugee Review Tribunal in 2001 and the Migration Review Tribunal in 2004, in both cases as a part-time member. In 2019, she was also announced as an independent director of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.

In 2020, Synon was appointed as a deputy president of the AAT and division head with responsibility for the social services and child support division.