Katherine “Kat” Nelson-Reid, Vice President of Sales, Marketing & Business Development, possesses what at first may seem like an unusual amalgamation of skills and characteristics, but upon meeting her, you’ll see how her complex blend of talent and work experience clicks into place.

It’s not every day you’ll encounter someone like Kat who brings analytical, number-crunching, left brain logic to the table, layered on top of a fierce creative artistry and an entrepreneur’s boundless passion and effervescent energy. But it’s also not every day you’ll come across a company like Obtiva, and Kat’s unique dichotomy of qualities have played an invaluable role in shaping the growth and development of both the company and its people.

Kat is in her element when working in a start-up environment in the technology sector, so when she encountered Obtiva in early 2008, she knew this was the place for her. She rolled up her sleeves and got right to work facilitating the process development needed to streamline the internal accounting, finance and human resource functions. Today, Kat and the other Obtiva senior leadership oversee day-to-day operations while adding strategic value as key change agents to the continued progression and evolution of the firm.

With more than 15 years of corporate operational experience, Kat began her career as an auditor while still in college. There, the firm’s managing partner called upon her to lead numerous national initiatives, experience she later parlayed into starting her own consulting business.

She catapulted her expertise beyond accounting and finance into business operations spanning marketing, finance, legal, human resources and process management, and then left the corporate world to establish a business consulting firm where she specialized in process implementation, change management, growth strategy development and start-up consulting for clients.

Born and raised in the South, Kat’s career and penchant for skyscrapers, fine dining and traffic jams brought her to Chicago. When she’s not working, you can find her running around after her three daughters and hanging out with her husband, friends and family. She’s a fixture in the Chicago technology community speaking and supporting start-up and women in business initiatives. She is a true foodie, coffee addict, wine enthusiast and teaches the occasional yoga class.