Her Story
About Kat
Kat Barger is a senior human resources business partner at Edward Jones, where she leads a team of Human Capital Business Consultants and partners with senior leaders to develop talent strategies that support organizational effectiveness and business growth. With more than a decade of experience in financial services, she specializes in leadership development, succession planning, organizational design, change management, and employee engagement. Her work focuses on translating complex business challenges into practical, scalable solutions that strengthen leadership capabilities and improve business outcomes.
Throughout her career at Edward Jones, Kat has held several roles spanning training, learning and development, and strategic human resources. She co-created a leadership development experience that increased net new assets by 50% among participating field teams compared with their peers and developed a division-wide talent strategy that expanded the pipeline of diverse, ready-now leadership candidates. Her experience also includes designing learning programs, improving employee onboarding, facilitating professional development, and advising leaders on performance management and team effectiveness. Before transitioning into financial services, Kat spent several years as an educator with Gilbert Public Schools and Queen Creek Unified School District, where she taught and developed curriculum, mentored fellow educators, and led initiatives to improve student learning. This background continues to inform her approach to adult learning, facilitation, and leadership development.
Kat earned a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education and Teaching from Arizona State University, graduating magna cum laude. She has also earned certifications in High Performance Learning Journeys through the Brinkerhoff methodology, reflecting her commitment to effective learning design and measurable organizational impact. Beyond her professional responsibilities, Kat has participated in employee resource groups supporting women and young professionals and has expressed an interest in giving back through hospice volunteering. Guided by a commitment to continuous growth, collaboration, and developing people, she strives to create meaningful leadership experiences that empower individuals and help organizations achieve lasting success.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kat
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to hard work, adaptability, and a willingness to explore new opportunities. Transitioning from teaching to the securities industry challenged me to grow, pursue continuous learning, and develop new skills while building a more balanced life.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
You’re always going to be juggling a lot of balls—some are glad and some are plastic. Some balls will eventually get dropped. Just make sure the ones that are dropped are plastic, not glass.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Never say never or let limiting beliefs hold you back. Trust your abilities, work hard, and do what you believe is right. Opportunities can come from unexpected places when you remain open to growth and committed to doing good work.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest opportunities in my field has been helping transform our financial services organization into a market-focused operation. By establishing market management teams, we moved away from a one-size-fits-all approach and began providing tailored support based on local market needs and financial advisors’ requirements.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value compassion, family, and giving back to my community. My motto is to, “Do good work with good people.” I value creating environments where people genuinely feel I care for them and they can be themselves and have fun while getting really good work done. In my personal life, I enjoy reading and spending quality time with my two children.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.