Kate Richmond
Chief Talent Officer
Chief Talent Officer
As Chief Talent Officer, Kate is responsible for delivering on the agency’s global vision to be the employer of choice among professionals who want to use the gift of communications to move people to positive action. Kate leads a global HR team in North America, EMEA and APAC and sets the pace for the independent, energetic and collaborative company culture that values employee engagement and development, diversity and inclusion, and talent management strategies that put people first.
Her mission is to fulfill the WE promise of creating the intersection of people and purpose. She ensures people are consistently at the heart of organizational initiatives and decisions. Through support, education, training and resources Kate’s goal is to ensure every member of the WE team has the tools they need to thrive, and take WE Communications into the future.
She’s led cross-functional teams to design and launch many successful development programs at WE that inspire team members to learn collaboratively, live boldly and give back. A large part of her focus is maintaining a work environment that brings together as many voices and perspectives to the table. In 2019 Kate championed the agency’s participation and evaluation in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which measures U.S. corporate policies and practices that impact LGBTQ employees where WE earned a 100 percent rating. As the sponsor for WE’s community relations, Kate has developed partnerships with ColorComm and The LAGRANT Foundation to support the advancement of people of color within the communications industry.
Kate relies on her firsthand insight into the skills and support needed to succeed at WE because she originally comes from the account side of the business, performing as vice president and Microsoft account chief of staff before she transitioned to HR.
A proud mother of two busy teenagers, she confesses a lot of her free time is spent washing jerseys and shuttling kids back and forth to games, which she loves. An avowed “world’s worst cook,” she’s always up to trying a new restaurant or sampling cuisine while traveling. Living in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S., Kate’s version of outdoorsy involves a glass of rosé on deck somewhere sunny. Camping is a definite no, but she’s very much open to glamping.
Blogs
5 Reasons Why WE is a Best Place to Work, Feb. 4, 2021
How Purpose-Driven Orgs Engage Employees During the Pandemic, May 19, 2020
LBGTQ Community in the Workplace: Where Do We Go Next?, Jan. 21, 2020
Gender Pay Equity: More Than Just Pay for Equal Work, Apr. 2, 2019
HRC Designates WE a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality, Mar. 28, 2019
Pam Edstrom Scholarships Recipients: Learning With Purpose, Mar. 5, 2019
Articles
How Purpose-Driven Organizations Engage Employees During the Pandemic, LinkedIn, May 19, 2020
LGBTQ Equality in the Workplace: Where Do We Go Next?, LinkedIn, Jan. 21, 2020
