I’ve worked with Kate for several years, and can confidently say she’s a strategic marketer, always focused on the “why,” combining that discipline with amazing people skills. Not only does she have a way of asking tough questions of leaders without giving offense, but she can also work across teams and different divisions, bringing disparate groups of people together to get good work done. She strengthens skill sets by example and coaching, never hesitating to dive in to help, but always knowing when to back away and let the team learn by doing. She keeps everyone focused on the “why” instead of getting embroiled in the daily details of the “what,” and she makes it fun.
Her strategic thinking leads her to stay focused on the goal, no matter how complex the problem, and her communication skills help her keep senior leadership also focused on the agreed-on goal, even in the midst of the inevitable swirl of competing pressures.
Kate is a great asset to any team that needs consistent strategic marketing thinking and team-building.
Tara Sullivan
Owner, Messages Matter ConsultingI brought Kate in to help launch a new brand and drive awareness for Thrivent. While many marketing and brand executives are known for either long-term strategic vision or short-term tactical execution, Kate has a well-earned reputation for skillfully balancing both. She can work at the top of the organization and provide strategic thinking around brand and our customer experience KPIs down through managing the dozens of daily questions from our financial advisors on how/when to use our brand in their daily communications. She seamlessly blended with our creative and brand team through collaboration and mutual respect. Although Kate was brought to temporarily work in the brand team, she quickly became a key contributor and trusted resource across the enterprise. Her results-driven, inquisitive approach makes her a delight to work with.
Susan M. Zima
Vice President, Thrivent Brand and Creative GroupKate Hendershott and I have worked on multiple projects for more than 20 years including as a marketing partner to the organization that I lead, Wallin Education Partners. As Wallin enters its thirtieth year, we look to Kate for new ideas and approaches to reaching new audiences. She is a good listener and thought leader on trends in the marketplace which has helped us enormously. In addition, her broad range of experience serving many industries means she is open to innovative approaches and helpful in bringing diverse perspectives together to increase success. I highly recommend her.
Susan Basil King, Ed.D.
President and CEO, Wallin Education PartnersI have worked with Kate Hendershott for the past number of years on numerous projects with clients across a range of industries.
Kate brings strong marketing insights and leadership to projects. She has a way of streamlining sometimes complicated or ambiguous information for the client to illuminate a clear path forward.
She quickly assesses the marketing strategy and fills in the gaps by utilizing her past experiences in multiple industries. That coupled with her ability to collaborate and lead the marketing team forward is invaluable.
I highly value Kate’s expertise and the value it has brought to our clients.
Kathleen M. Pytleski
CEO, SekstantKate and I worked together at Thrivent in brand and marketing. Kate is a strong marketing leader who can quickly assess areas that need improvement and recommend how they can be changed to help the organization grow. She has a collaborative leadership style and works well with the team and across businesses. She delivers outstanding results in a quick turnaround.
Suzanne McGann
FT Consultant, Enterprise Digital Transformations