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 8 years in Non-Executive Director roles and board advisory.

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.