About Me

For the last 20 years I have worked on a variety of strategies, programs and projects, across many industries. This includes but is not limited to mergers, restructures, relocations, social services reform, regulatory and many technology/digital enabled transformation. 

I have 15 years of consulting experience, 7 years working directly for companies in transformation leadership roles and 10 years in Non-Executive Director roles and board advisory.

Engaged as a trusted partner to CEOs and executives to stabilise portfolios, cut through noise, and drive the decisions and momentum that internal teams struggle to create on their own. Short, sharp senior support — without the overhead of a full-time executive or big-firm consulting team.

I'm an independent consultant who either works under my own company (Transformational Success) and via reputable partners. 

  • If you have reviewed this website and are wondering … is Karla a Consultant, Portfolio Manager, Program Manager, Project Manager, Change Manager, Senior Leader or Non-Executive Director?

    The answer is ... I’ve built a solid foundation in each over the last 20 years. I love to learn and the combination of these capabilities enables me to excel in the transformation space. 

    ​With 20 fun filled years of experience, I’ve had the pleasure of working on many high-profile transformations across multiple industries to deliver real results.

    This includes mergers and acquisitions, cultural change, digital transformation, whole of Government reform, start-ups, strategic workforce planning, target operating models, organisational model redesign / restructures and more.

    ​I love it when people say 'I have this problem, can you help me fix it'. Or 'we have this great opportunity, can you help us implement it'.  I use my diverse skillset to get it done right the first time, in collaboration with others. If you're having trouble defining the problem, opportunity or strategy, I can help with this as well.

  • Consultants each have their own way of doing things.
    I develop value fast, coach teams to thrive and make myself redundant - on purpose.

    To help you decide if my style fits with your organisation, below is more information on my beliefs.

    • Agility is key – iterate and don’t gold plate.

    • Clear grounded strategy that actually gets used - not left on a shelf.

    • Prioritise outcomes over process. Push back on process for process sake.

    • Transformation is all about people and relationships, even the techy ones.

    • I'm transparent and straight talking. It's important to face into challenging conversations early.

    • For documentation, less is generally more. Plans on a page are priceless.

    • I turn big ideas into practical, actionable plans that teams can run with.

    • Only implement changes that will stick. Shut down those that won't.

    • Successful transformation is a marathon, not a sprint. Deliver value as you go.

    • Empower the team early. Coach rather than manage the team.

    • Put yourself in the impacted peoples shoes. Make adjustments until the shoes fit. 

    • Strong leader support will make or break the transformation. If I don't have it, I ask for it and earn it.

  • I've had many highlights when I reflect over the last 20 years. Below is a small sample.

    • Establishment of CleanCo - a new Government owned clean energy generation company. I was the first consultant engaged and remained until the corporation was established.

    • Developed a service transformation blueprint to address the challenges in meeting the community’s current and future health care needs. 150 potential initiatives were assessed, with 30 prioritised.  Client feedback - best piece of consulting work they had ever seen.

    • Program Manager for a Whole of Government Social Benefits Bonds pilot. The bonds were delivered the fastest in Australia (approx. twice as fast as most bonds worldwide). 

    • Office relocation and new ways of working resulted in a 98% satisfaction uplift by staff and increase in overall engagement. Awarded AFR Best Places to Work (2023) – top ranking retail bank for our Clever Ways of Working program.

    • Played a lead role in the Change Management Institute’s Australian and global expansion.

    • Re-designed and lectured a university course in Risk, Organisational Change and Culture. Student satisfaction ratings increased by over 40% from the previous course.

    • Lifted a banks enterprise change maturity ranking from 2.3 to 4.4 out of 5, based on Prosci’s maturity model.

    • Project recovery – an online system failed to go live on three occasions. After stepping in to recover and implement the project, it successfully went live two months later.

    • Following the implementation of several changes, a local council experienced a dramatic decrease in workplace disputes, employee turnover and 40% reduction in absenteeism.