Her Story
About Kathleen
Kathleen Strand is a strategic communications leader with nearly 25 years of experience spanning the public, private, and political sectors. She earned her bachelor's degree in Journalism, Political Science, and Spanish from the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she was active in student government and campus politics. Her career began with a deep interest in writing and political life, which led her to Washington, D.C., where she took on campaign work and eventually served as a senior advisor to Hillary Clinton during the 2008 presidential campaign. Along the way, she held roles at PBS and on Capitol Hill, guided early on by mentors Laura Nichols and Kiki McClain, whose support helped launch her career in political communications.
Over the following two decades, Strand built an impressive track record advising some of the most recognizable institutions and public figures in the country. She has served as a spokesperson for three presidential campaigns, a U.S. Senator, and the Mayor of Chicago, and held senior communications and government relations roles at organizations including The Coca-Cola Company, McKinsey & Company, and McDonald's. Her work has touched nearly every facet of strategic communications, from crisis management and public affairs campaigns to national brand development, message formulation, and stakeholder engagement with elected officials, media, and community leaders.
Today, Strand serves as Head of Communications at Builders Vision, a $15 billion investment and philanthropy platform focused on food and agriculture, oceans, and energy, where she leads a six-person team and advises the CEO and executive leadership on strategy, brand, and culture. She specializes in reputation management, brand strategy, and risk, and is a strong advocate for elevating storytelling as a core executive function, including reframing climate change as an economic, industrial, and security issue to help accelerate the clean energy transition. Outside of her professional work, she remains active in Chicago-area causes related to youth development, mental health, and women's advancement, and has served as a board member of Urban Initiatives since 2016.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kathleen
01What do you attribute your success to?
My path has been shaped by the breadth of experience I've gathered across the public, private, and political sectors. Starting out in journalism and campaign work gave me a strong foundation, and having mentors and sponsors who believed in me early on opened doors I might not have found on my own. I've also been fortunate to help build an organization from the ground up alongside a founder, which taught me a tremendous amount about leadership and culture.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The advice that has stayed with me most is to seek out women who inspire you and aren't afraid to ask them for a cup of coffee to learn from their experience. I've built my network this way, and two mentors in particular shaped my career: Laura Nichols, who gave me my first job at PBS and helped me get started on Capitol Hill, and Kiki McClain, a political communications strategist I met while working on Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I encourage young women to build a strong network of female mentors and peers throughout their careers. Don't hesitate to reach out to people you admire and ask for their guidance — a simple coffee meeting can open doors and provide practical direction on where to start and how to grow in this field.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I see a real opportunity in the growing recognition that storytelling belongs in the boardroom and on the main stage, especially as attention spans shrink and messages need to be delivered with more precision. At the same time, one of our biggest challenges is adapting communications strategies to rapidly evolving channels. I also believe climate change needs to be reframed as an economic, industrial, and security issue in order to accelerate the broader transition.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Authenticity guides everything I do, both in how I communicate and how I help build brands. I place a high value on mentorship and lifting up other women, and I'm deeply committed to civic engagement along with causes like youth development and mental health support.
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