Hi! I'm Kat Richards.

Strategy catalyst turning complexity into clarity and purpose into progress.

With over a decade of experience, I lead with vision, blending cultural insight, brand storytelling, and research to craft strategic solutions that resonate and connect complexity to clarity, people to purpose.

At Digitas, I foster collaboration and inclusivity, empowering teams to push boundaries and drive innovation. As a leader, I amplify voices, transform ideas into action, and shape a more inclusive industry.

Now, I’m ready to scale that impact in a VP/Strategy Director role, where purpose, people, and progress intersect.

Hire me for

- Evangelize agile mindset and way of working
- Nurture team growth through ongoing learning and coaching
- Streamline operations through scalable solutions and frameworks
- Build psychology safety in teams I lead to share perspectives
- Advocate for users through research and behavioral insights for a holistic experience
- Bridging silos across departments with a strategic vision/roadmap
- Aligning stakeholders and influencing impactful change
- Build emotional connections to consumer needs
- Spark consumer engagement to build brand loyalty and trust
- Ensure brand consistency and accessibility across digital and physical spaces
I’m always looking for an opportunity to share my knowledge and thinking, through thought leadership and speaking engagements. See my speaking page for details.

See my work

Let's connect

Some clients I’ve partnered with:

Community Involvement

MSOE University

Industrial Advisory Committee (IAC) members advise the UX program on industry trends to keep the curriculum relevant for aspiring UX professionals.
Disability:In

Mentor emerging leaders with disabilities through Disability:IN’s NextGen program to support their career growth.
Women Who Create

Board member of Women Who Create, connecting emerging creative WOC with mentors in advertising and tech to build brighter futures together.
Asians in Advertising

As Co-Lead of Partnerships at Asians in Advertising, I help build community, foster opportunity, and elevate Asian talent in an industry where we’re often excluded.

What others say

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Angela (SVP - Account)

“Kat is really good at listening and wrangling people to deliver on the work. I saw her actively listen and engage our clients, and it was reassuring to see her defend her thinking.”

Ali (CSO)

“The GOAT. Kat is walking the talk. Way to freaking go! Thank you for facilitating and having a great discussion on Asian Representation in Media.”

“The amount of details in this research, leading into the strategy. This is great stuff. Thank you to you and your team for the diligence.”

Amy (CXO - Global Markets at BofA)
“These personas are well-rounded to depict the enterprise as a whole. Appreciates that they all come from different points vs one forced and centralized gated experience on this Women’s Ecosystem”

Rachel (SVP Marketing at BofA)
“This is awesome. Thanks again for pulling together this accessibility x strategy playbook. Super impressive, comprehensive and important thinking!”

Josh (Head of Experience Strategy)
“So impressed with your team’s thinking about this massive undertaking! I’m seeing a lot of change recommendations from all our conversations, so thank you… thank you for listening and hearing us.”

Antonio (Client Lead on MSK)
“Great job on the discovery workshop. The findings and presentation were smart and well received by the clients, but the real surprise was how engaged the client team was with the prioritization investing game. In the two years I’ve worked on the wealth team, this is the most engaged client call I’ve been a part of.”

Ashley O. (VP, Account Director)
“So fantastic! Thank you so much. This is exactly what we need. It’s so insightful to help us move forward. It’s really impressive to see how on point the pain points are visualized. I’m jumping out of my skin with excitement. ”

Karli (BofA Marketing Chief Executive)
“You are a super great partner. I think others would be watching designers design by now, but you’re in there pitching in. Always helpful when you have a collaborator with a POV!”

Michael (UX & CS Director)
“Left brain? Right brain? Kat is ambidextrous. She flawlessly balances strategic, analytic and methodical thinking with inspiring, creative and experiential ideas. She brings order to chaos and innovation to the norm. I thoroughly enjoyed every opportunity I’ve had to collaborate with Kat.”

Tyler (Account Director)
“Thanks for great work and for all the great discussion. Your research, professional approach and frankly, awesome work transformed our product.”

RC (Microsoft Product Owner)

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Fearless Curiosity

A safe space to ask hard questions and embrace bold play.

I thrive in spaces that embrace:

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Diverse Perspectives

An inclusive place that champions diverse ideas, cultures, and voices.

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Strategic Growth

A complex challenge to navigate, with a team to elevate & empower.

Let's build something together

Strategy catalyst turning complexity into clarity and purpose into progress.

Hire me for

Leadership & Operations

CX Strategy

Brand Marketing

Speaking

Some clients I’ve partnered with:

MSOE University

Disability:In

Women Who Create

Asians in Advertising