Before we decide what to do, let’s understand
why it’s happening.
I bring the experience of a senior HR business partner and the questions of a coach, so you leave with a plan and the confidence to run it.
Let’s connect
About
I’m Kate. I help leaders make the hard people decisions well.
I was the senior HR business partner leaders at Hyland Software came to when something on the people side needed handling well: restructures, terminations, fast growth, and managers stepping up for the first time. Now I do that for small and growing businesses, part-time and on their terms.
Along the way I trained as a coach, because I kept noticing that the best outcomes didn’t come from having the right answer. They came from asking better questions first.
Experience
At Hyland Software, I served as a Senior Human Resources Business Partner supporting senior leaders across a large, complex organization, including significant portions of the company’s global cloud services and product organization. My role allowed me to operate strategically with senior leadership while also helping managers navigate the day-to-day people challenges that come with leading teams.
Earlier in my career, I worked with Jonathan Rose Companies in progressively responsible HR roles, including Human Resources Consultant, HR Generalist, and Human Resources Business Partner. That experience gave me a strong foundation in both the strategic and practical sides of HR.
Credentials
- MBA, John Carroll University
- Completing certification as an executive coach through the Center for Executive Coaching
Who I Help · Founder-led teams of 15–75
The people side gets complicated before the business is ready for it.
You may be dealing with:
You don’t necessarily need a full-time HR executive. You need someone who has been in the room for this before, and who will help you think it through rather than hand you a script.
I work best with leaders who:
- Care deeply about their people
- Want to make thoughtful decisions
- Are open to feedback and coaching
- Value discretion and confidentiality
- Want a strategic partner rather than an HR administrator
- Are navigating growth or organizational change
If I’m not the right fit, I’ll say so.
I’ve worked across multiple industries, and the people side of a business looks much the same in all of them.
How I Help
One partnership, three kinds of work
An experienced HR partner without the cost or commitment of a full-time HR leader.
- Day-to-day HR guidance and employee relations
- HR policies, processes, and compliance support
- Performance management and employee development
- Hiring practices, onboarding, and retention
- HR foundations that support business growth
Practical people strategies that align the needs of employees with the goals of the business.
- Building stronger workplace cultures
- Improving engagement and retention
- Developing effective people practices
- Supporting growth and change
A coaching-informed approach that helps leaders navigate challenges and lead with confidence.
- Manager effectiveness and leadership development
- Navigating difficult conversations
- Communication, accountability, and team dynamics
- Supporting leaders through change and growth
The Difference
Most HR advice answers one question. I start earlier.
Most HR advice answers one question: what should we do? I start earlier, and I help you think through:
That’s the difference between an HR partner who thinks like a coach and one who just tells you what to do.
Why KHY
Growing businesses
deserve senior
HR judgment, too
Large companies have seasoned HR leaders in the room for every hard decision. Founder-led businesses of 15 to 75 people usually don’t, and that’s exactly the stage where people decisions start to shape everything else.
I started KHY Consulting to close that gap: to give owners and their managers an experienced partner who knows the territory, without the cost of a full-time executive.
You shouldn’t have to figure out the hardest parts of leading people on your own.
This works best as a standing partnership: I get to know your people, and your managers know they can bring me the hard ones.
The Process
Four steps, beginning with a conversation
A short first conversation, by phone or video, about what’s going on in your business. There’s no need to prep and no pitch. I don’t quote packages before we talk; what’s happening with your people decides what the right help is.
Before recommending anything, I get the full picture: the people involved, how decisions get made, what’s been tried.
We set scope, rhythm, and what success looks like. A standing partner or help with one hard situation.
You make the decisions. I make sure they’re well-informed and well-carried-out.
Leaders walk away calmer, clearer, and more confident about their next step.
Businesses get what follows: fewer people problems that turn into business problems, managers who get better at managing, and good people who stay.
Let’s connect
If something on the people side of your business needs a second set of eyes, send me a note. No prep needed, no obligation.