Moe’s Home Collection Appoints Karla Kochan as VP of People & Culture

June 16, 2022  by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry   

Known for her thoughtfulness, determination and resilience, Kochan is uniquely qualified to drive efficiency, build culture and optimize Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives across a broad range of P&C services.

As a key leadership team member and head of MHC’s Community Engagement Committee, Kochan plans to implement P&C policies and programs while managing all aspects of employee relations, management, acquisitions and advancement, as well as play a leading role in local charitable avenues for the company’s substantial donation budget. In addition, she will focus on shaping a high-performance company culture with DEI initiatives that champion the welfare of all employees to effectively uphold the mission, vision, standards and corporate objectives of Moe’s Home Collection.

This critical leadership role comes at a pivotal time in which the needs of a post-pandemic workforce must be addressed. Across all industries, current, new and potential team members are now dealing with depression, burnout and waning feelings of social connection. While unprecedented turnover and labor shortages generate urgency, the company sees it as an opportunity to build upon a new normal.

“Since the very beginning, Moe’s Home has invested in our most crucial asset—our people. The pandemic has given us the momentum to reimagine what this means as Karla’s exceptional experience and expertise come at an incredibly pivotal time,” says Sara Samieian, co-CEO, MHC. “We are excited to grow & strengthen our company culture to further align with our values and affect positive change. We welcome Karla to the company and look forward to her guidance through this new phase. She will be instrumental in shaping how we lead, how we operate and how we promote an environment of inclusion, diversity and engagement.”

Kochan comes to MHC with a sound record of success in P&C/HR, cultivating performance and transforming culture. With a background also in journalism, she approaches her role with openness, inquisitiveness and fairness, making each strategic decision with kindness, compassion and understanding. Specializing in people strategy and HR remodeling, as evidenced by her previous role as chief people officer, she has successfully created and implemented a DEI strategy and formed a DEI council that was ultimately staff run, bringing inclusion to the forefront of organizations.

Kochan also spearheaded a mental health strategy that began to normalize the conversation. She saw small group training with clients as imperative because she wanted to address the exceedingly high suicide rates within the industry. Kochan points to a 2018 report by the medical journal The Lancet that estimates that the global mental health crisis will cost $16 trillion by 2030.

“Mental health and wellness is a huge personal passion of mine and I hope to bring a higher level of awareness through strategies with a holistic perspective,” said Kochan. “Emotional intelligence and leading with empathy has completely changed the leadership landscape. It is important to recognize how emotions factor into productivity, performance and innovation. I’m eager to empower our team to achieve our goals as we celebrate our true, authentic selves.”

In this way, Karla is particularly adept at identifying the needs of the employees in any given sector & pinpointing what is missing from an organization. Her relentless pursuit of continuous improvement allows her to find efficiencies predicated on the quality of the work being done, often asking how this is beneficial to the person & the company.

“I believe that each person can make a difference and have a positive impact while feeling valued. I also believe that a thriving workforce is one that learns from each other. Moe’s has such a great culture and family history already,” added Kochan. “So, let’s build on that and ask ourselves, ‘what are we contributing as human beings beyond our work? What is it that we as an organization can offer to our people that they can apply to their everyday lives?’”