Leaders of Excellence: Karen McClain

“Knowing that the work we do ultimately contributes to positive outcomes for individuals, families, and communities gives a deeper sense of meaning and purpose to my role.”

 When Karen McClain describes her work, she often comes back to one idea: “We’re here to support the people who support other,” she says.

As a Senior Talent Partner (Contracts and Compliance) at the Kenmore head office, Karen leads the teams responsible for ensuring every staff member across Churches of Christ has the right employment contract and all required compliance checks completed.

It’s purposeful work - even if most of it happens quietly in the background.

Karen has been part of Churches of Christ for more than a decade, including time supporting Children, Youth & Families (CYF). The experience shaped how she sees her work today.

“Working in CYF broadened my perspective. It gave me a deeper appreciation for the complexity of the communities we support - and for the opportunities I’ve had in my own life,” she says.

That grounding stayed with her as she moved into People & Culture, where she now leads two teams with a clear purpose – to create clarity, reduce risk, and make processes easier for everyone else.

The challenge: Growing requirements, growing expectations

As Churches of Christ evolved over the last decade, compliance and workforce governance became more complex.

The regulatory landscape was changing.

Workforce expectations were rising.

We asked: How do we continue to stay safe, compliant, and confident while caring for thousands of people across Queensland and Victoria?

Karen and her team stepped up to provide solutions.

Small improvements with big impact

In the space of six months, something remarkable happened.

Karen built – from scratch – a fully functioning Compliance Team.

She led a complete clean-up of key data, rebuilt processes from the ground up, and created sustainable systems that now support the entire organisation.

Her team now completes:

• 1,000+ compliance touchpoints every single month

• Risk reduced significantly across multiple regulatory requirements

• Contract turnaround times in half the prior deliverable window

These improvements help frontline teams focus on care, not paperwork – something Karen sees as central to her role.

“I want staff and leaders to feel supported and well informed,” she says. “The more clarity we can give, the better everyone can do their jobs.”

Karen’s lesson

Karen’s leadership style has been shaped by years of working with different people and teams across People & Culture.

For her, strong leadership looks like clear communication, authenticity and consistency.

She also sees a strong connection to Churches of Christ’s new values, particularly Integrity - being truthful, responsible, and respectful.

And despite her busy workload, she stays grounded with simple habits: weekly planning, daily “hit lists,” time‑blocking, and recognising her team’s efforts often.

“Working in an environment built on trust and positive morale keeps us all motivated,” she adds.

The impact of excellence

Karen may not work on the frontline, but her work enables others to.

Every contract issued, every compliance check completed, and every process improved supports safer, smoother services for the people who need us most.

It’s steady, thoughtful work and it’s making a real difference.