Overview

Kate Carman is a strategy and change leader with two decades of experience supporting executives, teams, and organizations through pivotal transitions. Her work focuses on clarifying strategy, strengthening communication, and aligning people and structures so organizations can navigate complexity and move forward with coherence and purpose.

Through Ochre Way, she partners with organizations across public, corporate, and mission-driven sectors, including Fortune 500 companies, federal agencies, regional governments, startups, and nonprofits. Engagements span leadership transitions, enterprise change, strategic planning, and organizational realignment.

Approach

Kate brings a structured yet adaptive approach, combining analytical rigor with an ability to read context and surface what matters most. Her work integrates neuroscience, systems thinking, qualitative research, and narrative tools to identify patterns, clarify priorities, and support sound decision-making.

Her advisory and coaching work has supported senior executives and emerging leaders navigating succession, strategic shifts, and periods of heightened uncertainty. She has designed and delivered leadership programs, guided multi-agency initiatives, and supported organizations in strengthening alignment and communication in complex, high-stakes environments.

Experience

Before founding Ochre Way, Kate held senior roles at Korn Ferry and Sapere Consulting. At Korn Ferry, she led leadership development initiatives for global executives and supported the growth of emerging service areas. At Sapere Consulting, she advised infrastructure and government clients on strategy, stakeholder engagement, and large-scale change efforts.

Earlier in her career, her work bridged sustainability and organizational development, including helping transition her family’s ranch into a leading grass-fed beef operation in the Pacific Northwest. She began her professional career at Human Rights Watch, supporting a team of advocates later recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize, where she developed a foundational understanding of complex systems change and its real-world human impact.

Education & Credentials

Kate holds a master’s degree from the Yale School of the Environment, where she focused on green business, innovation, and environmental history. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science from Oregon State University and was the inaugural recipient of the College of Liberal Arts Award for Leadership in Social Change.

She is certified in Brain-Based Coaching through the NeuroLeadership Institute and holds Prosci Change Management and Korn Ferry Leadership Architecture certifications.