Kate Rood

About Kate Rood

I’m a resilient and compassionate leader with 15 years of experience in communications, corporate social responsibility, human resources, organizational development, and learning and development. My industry experience includes higher education, corporate leadership events, social impact business, and financial services. I prioritize my core values of connection, communication, and compassion in all programs and teams I lead. I\'m proud of our dynamic Learning and Development team at Toptal, and I love connecting with anyone who wants to talk about building a culture of learning and leadership development. Please reach out! I also love talking with other leaders about: Public speaking - In 2019 I gave a speech at a post-Oscars gala, where Beneficial State Bank was receiving an award, that got a fist pump from Michelle Kwan and a “woot woot” from Chevy Chase in the audience. I\'m passionate about facilitation and communication. The importance of creativity and humor at work - I\'ve been on the cover of a company Impact Report wearing a giant squirrel costume. My coworkers know about my hobbies and my quirky collections because joy sustains us and increases our effectiveness. Coaching - I’ve had the benefit of working with exceptional coaches in my career, focusing on conflict resolution skills, career decisions, and leadership resilience. I\'m happy to connect you to the amazing coaches I know and talk about my experience with coaching.

Experience

1. Learning and Development Manager

   Toptal

   May 2023 — Present

Education

• Portland State University - School of Business

  Master of Business Administration (MBA), Business

  2012 — 2014

• Smith College

  BA, Political Science

  2003 — 2007