With a reputation as a visionary senior executive and a talent for setting a powerful ‘People’ vision, Karl is sought out as a trusted advisor to boards and executive committees as businesses seek to evolve and grow. Karl’s exposure to both private and public sectors, coupled with his resolute forward focus, strongly positions him to provide leadership, consultancy, insight and constructive challenge.
As the founder and director of WINC HR Strategy and Solutions, Karl leads an independent consultancy serving local authorities, government bodies, UK public service and global blue-chip companies. During a career spanning more than 25 years, Karl has delivered exceptional results across multiple geographies and markets covering the US, UK, Europe and APAC.
Karl has supported a range of businesses as they transform, navigate challenges and manage change. Most recently he has been driving the complex, multi-million-pound HR services programme underpinning the launch of Allwyn UK, the new national lottery operator in the UK, having played an integral role in securing the multi-billion-pound UK lottery licence as part of the start-up transition team.
Since his appointment, Karl has delineated target operating and HR service management models that position Allwyn UK for success in a heavily regulated sector, while building the company’s new employer brand identity, growing the headcount at pace and advancing a hugely ambitious D&I agenda.
Starting out in the hospitality sector, Karl’s early career features roles for big-name, international operators, including Ritz-Carlton, Orient-Express and Hamilton Island Enterprises. Having demonstrated his ability to mobilise large workforces, Karl was chosen for the role of Head of Human Resources Services at the first European Olympics in Baku, Azerbaijan, held in 2015, with a mandate to hire and deploy a 15,000-strong workforce at speed.
Subsequently, Karl conceptualised, launched and established WINC HR Strategy and Solutions and has since partnered with Mercedes-Benz and other major corporate organisations. Notably, he unlocked multi-million-pound public sector opportunities for M Integrated Solutions, an experiential events and digital solutions provider, and participated in bid delivery as the company pursued contracts with G7, NATO and COP26.
The People strategies that Karl put in place for Millennium Hotels & Resorts, UK and Europe were critical to the ongoing financial viability of the multi-million-pound t/o region during COVID-19. Karl’s expertise spans bid strategy services, talent acquisition, employee engagement, ISO accreditation and HR policy, consistently incorporating D&I, ESG and CSR dimensions. He is passionate about adding social value.
Karl is a member of the CIPD and its Australian counterpart AHRI, SHRM, PMI UK, Social Value, C-TEN EMEA by HRO, and the IoD. Committed to continuous professional development, he is currently undertaking the Executive MBA Programme at the Ducere Business School, University of East London.
With a reputation as a thought leader on HR and businesss management, Karl’s series of three short-read books on management principles, “Leadership for Bears”, is due for release in 2023 and 2024, to be sold at major retailers. Karl continues to build on the success of WINC HR Strategy and Solutions while making a valued contribution to corporate boards as a non-executive director.
