Kate Carman leads Ochre Way’s advisory practice, serving as a senior partner to executives, boards, and organizations navigating transition and complexity. Her work focuses on translating strategy and stakeholder insight into clear decisions and durable execution.

Overview

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

Through Ochre Way, she partners with public, corporate, and mission-driven organizations, 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, integrating neuroscience, systems thinking, qualitative research, and narrative tools to surface what matters most, clarify priorities, and support sound decision-making. Her work supports leaders navigating succession, strategic shifts, and periods of heightened uncertainty, particularly in complex, high-stakes environments.

Experience

Before founding Ochre Way, Kate held senior roles at Korn Ferry and Sapere Consulting, advising global executives, infrastructure leaders, and government clients on leadership development, strategy, stakeholder engagement, and large-scale change.

Earlier in her career, her work bridged sustainability and organizational development, including supporting the transition of 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 that had recently been recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize.

Education & Credentials

Kate holds a master’s degree from the Yale School of the Environment and a bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science from Oregon State University. She is certified in Brain-Based Coaching through the NeuroLeadership Institute and holds Prosci Change Management and Korn Ferry Leadership Architecture certifications.