Kathy Kurnyta, MA

Kathy Kurnyta is a leadership development specialist and coach serving as an Alliance Partner at Leadership Development Worldwide. She is based in Chicago, IL.

Kathy has 18 years of experience helping organizations hire and develop top leaders through diverse assessment offerings. Her areas of expertise include selection and executive assessments, leadership development, coaching, and leading assessment centers. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies in a variety of organizations and industries, as well as with leaders at all levels, from first time manager to the C-suite.

She has extensive experience conducting in-depth behavioral assessments for executive-level and management positions across industries, including private equity, technology, financial services, energy, retail, and pharmaceuticals. She has also developed and led assessment centers for promotional services. She partners with key stakeholders (e.g., search team members, hiring managers, PE deal teams, Board members, etc.) to serve as a strategic advisor on talent decisions to place executives according to job and cultural fit. She also partners with Private Equity firms in leading their due diligence for executive leadership teams within their portfolio companies.

As a coach, she has a passion for helping leaders increase their self-awareness and overall success to be more effective in their current and future positions. She has coached, supported, and provided feedback to individuals in various roles and industries within management and high potential development programs. She has also coached leaders at all levels, from first-time manager to the C-suite. Prior to corporate consulting, she worked in the public safety sector, conducting psychological assessments of police officers, firefighters, and emergency dispatchers.

Kathy obtained her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from University of San Francisco and her Master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She is certified in the Hogan Suite, CQ Intelligence for Change Management, MRG’s Leadership Effectiveness Analysis, and trained through Marshall Goldsmith’s Stakeholder Centered Coaching methodology. She is a member of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

Kathy was born in Poland, and she lives in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, running, and spending time with her family.