Ask Chris Macaulay what separates a good company from a great one, and he won’t talk about product specs or marketing tactics. He’ll talk about people.

"At the end of the day, culture builds companies," Chris says. "You can fake a product for a while. You can’t fake values."

Since founding Killara Outdoors in 2019, Chris has built more than a portfolio—he’s built a culture-driven platform where people, purpose, and process fuel long-term brand growth. Across offices in Fort Worth, Boulder, and Hong Kong, that culture has become Killara’s secret weapon.

Culture by Design, Not Default

Chris is clear: culture isn’t about bean bags and slogans. It’s about standards.

"If you don’t define culture, it defines itself—and usually not in a good way," he explains. "We’ve built a framework at Killara where expectations are high, accountability is clear, and people know what winning looks like."

That framework shows up in everything from how Killara hires, to how they operate brand integrations post-acquisition.

"We’re not trying to create mini Killaras inside every brand. We’re trying to elevate what’s great and bring alignment across people and systems. That starts with culture."

The Human Multiplier

One of Chris’s most repeated phrases is “Culture is the multiplier.”

"You can give two teams the same capital, the same playbook, and the same tech stack—and one will outperform the other because they have trust, rhythm, and clarity."

At Killara, investing in culture means investing in leadership. From monthly 'Culture Builds' and offsite team summits to open feedback sessions and shared wins, the team places a premium on communication, decision-making autonomy, and shared ownership.

"We talk about outcomes, not activity. We build confidence in our leaders by giving them real responsibility—not micromanagement."

Scaling Culture Across Brands

As the Killara platform has grown—expanding into fishing, hunting, lifestyle, and tactical gear brands—Chris has doubled down on cultural integration as a key growth lever.

"Most people underestimate the emotional toll of a brand acquisition. If we don’t take care of the founders and their teams, everything else breaks down."

That belief is baked into how Killara onboards new companies: with empathy, with transparency, and with a plan to help people thrive.

"Ultimately, we’re not just building brands—we’re building the leadership teams behind them. If you build the right culture, the rest takes care of itself."

If you’re building something great and believe in leading with people first—Chris Macaulay and Killara want to hear from you.

Explore the platform at killara.com or pitch your brand today.