Karen Berline
Chicago
Summary
Highly accomplished Learning and Leadership Development Leader with a career-long record of architecting and governing large-scale learning ecosystems for organizations with up to 750,000+ users. Expert in leading high-stakes digital transformations, including Workday Learning deployment and the engineering of proprietary financial governance tools providing oversight for $350M+ in annual spend. A strategic partner to executive leadership, specialized in bridging the gap between HR technology, global operations, and fiscal accountability. Proven ability to optimize "time-to-learning" through data-driven process automation, while maintaining 90%+ compliance and accuracy across complex, global populations.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Workday Learning Deployment Program Lead
Accenture
Chicago
10.2021 - 05.2024
- Led two key work streams of the large-scale digital transformation to the new enterprise learning ecosystem for 750,000+ users; translated complex business requirements into a seamless Workday Learning roadmap that unified HR Technology, Learning Operations, and Executive Leadership vision.
- Defined a scalable global operations framework that optimized 5M+ annual registrations; leveraged process automation and data-driven design to eliminate operational friction, significantly reducing 'time-to-learning' while ensuring data integrity across employee, pre-hire, and contractor populations.
- Defined the global governance and standards for Workday Learning administrator access by designing a sophisticated Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) security framework; mitigated risk and ensured compliance for 3,000+ global learning community users.
- Automated security role assignments and approvals, achieving 90%+ accuracy, reducing bottlenecks, and ensuring compliance with security standards through data-driven process improvements.
- Served as Subject Matter Expert (SME) to onboard 20+ lead faculty members, developing and delivering comprehensive train-the-trainer materials including lesson modules, demonstration videos, and guides.
- Modernized the global learning community experience by deploying a multimedia microlearning strategy (80+ assets) that shifted the organization from traditional classroom dependency to a high-engagement, 'on-demand' digital learning culture.
Strategic Delivery Partner
Accenture
Chicago
06.2015 - 10.2021
- Cultivated strategic executive-level partnerships to align the global learning delivery strategy with shifting business unit objectives, ensuring L&D remained a high-value driver of organizational goals.
- Architected the global deployment of a comprehensive curriculum (200+ courses, 600+ annual offerings), streamlining delivery operations while maintaining global brand consistency across diverse business lines.
- Directed a $30M annual delivery budget, orchestrating high-level resource allocation that exceeded training targets by 25% through rigorous fiscal oversight and executive alignment.
- Engineered adaptive, multi-modal delivery models that balanced learning integrity with operational constraints; synthesized course requirements, regional logistics, and budget parameters to select the optimal mix of in-person, virtual and blended learning.
- Led a high-performing PMO team of 15 professionals, fostering an agile culture that improved team efficiency by 20% and accelerated the speed-to-market for critical global learning initiatives.
- Mentored and developed a pipeline of emerging L&D leaders, building institutional capability and ensuring the sustainability of enterprise-wide strategic programs.
Learning Delivery Financial Transformation Lead
Accenture
Chicago
06.2015 - 10.2021
- Led the digital financial transformation of the global Learning Delivery department; architected and deployed a proprietary financial management system governing $350M in annual spend that centralized disparate data sources into a single source of truth.
- Directed the global change management strategy for 500+ stakeholders; designed a comprehensive enablement suite including live demonstrations, on-demand job aids, and 'learning in the flow of work' modules embedded directly within the platform.
- Achieved a 90% improvement in financial compliance and a 70% increase in budget forecasting accuracy through data-driven automation.
- Standardized global fiscal reporting and data visualization, empowering senior executive leadership to make high-stakes decisions regarding curriculum ROI and strategic resource prioritization.
North America Local Training Lead
Accenture
Chicago
07.2011 - 06.2015
- Appointed to establish the regional L&D infrastructure, scaling North America local training programs to support 65,000 employees across 30+ offices.
- Deployed a high-impact curriculum of 50+ courses focused on technical, leadership, and management competencies, ensuring a localized approach that met regional business demands.
- Partnered with the North America HR Lead to govern a $1.5M annual training budget, maintaining fiscal discipline and ensuring high-ROI resource allocation.
- Engineered a 50% reduction in training travel costs by designing and implementing an optimized regional scheduling model, significantly improving operational efficiency without sacrificing learning quality.
- Centralized regional learning data by building an online platform to consolidate course and session intelligence; leveraged these insights to drive data-driven decision-making and improve strategic planning.
- Pioneered a Faculty Enablement Program featuring self-study and live training tracks, elevating instructional quality and standardization across a diverse pool of internal facilitators.
- Led and mentored a cross-border team of 10 professionals (US and India), managing a $750K annual payroll budget and fostering a culture of high performance and accountability.
Education
Associate of Arts - Design
Harrington College of Design
IL05-1994
Skills
- Strategic Planning
- Workday Learning
- Digital Learning Strategy
- Global & Regional Program Scaling
- Global Cross-Functional Team Leadership
- Program Management
- Stakeholder Management & Alignment
- Operational Excellence
- Executive-level Communication
- Change Management
- Financial Governance
- Digital Transformation
- Portfolio Management
- Faculty Development
- Talent Development
- Agile Methodologies
Professional Highlights
- Enterprise-Scale Transformation, Orchestrated the global digital deployment of Workday Learning for 750,000+ users, unifying HR Technology and Executive Leadership vision into a single, seamless roadmap.
- Fiscal Stewardship & Governance, Led a high-stakes financial transformation governing $350M in annual spend, engineering a proprietary tracking tool that improved budget forecasting accuracy by 70%.
- Operational Excellence, Re-engineered global registration workflows for 5M+ annual transactions, significantly reducing 'time-to-learning' and achieving a 50% reduction in regional travel costs through optimized scheduling.
- Data Security & Compliance, Defined and implemented a global RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) framework for 3,000+ administrators, achieving 90%+ automation accuracy and 100% audit compliance.
- Strategic Portfolio Leadership, Directed a global curriculum of 200+ courses and 600+ annual offerings, leveraging adaptive, multi-modal delivery models to exceed training targets by 25%.
Timeline
Workday Learning Deployment Program Lead
Accenture
10.2021 - 05.2024
Strategic Delivery Partner
Accenture
06.2015 - 10.2021
Learning Delivery Financial Transformation Lead
Accenture
06.2015 - 10.2021
North America Local Training Lead
Accenture
07.2011 - 06.2015
Associate of Arts - Design
Harrington College of Design