Kate Smiley

About Kate Smiley

I build brands that move people and move the business forward.As a brand, communications, and digital marketing director with 10+ years of experience across healthcare, tech, and SaaS, I’ve led global rebrands, built award-winning teams, and launched campaigns that drive awareness, trust, pipeline, and talent. Most recently, I helped lead GE HealthCare’s brand transformation following the largest healthcare spin-off in market history, building its first global brand platform, brand marketing center of excellence, and repositioning the company as a digital health leader.I lead with creativity, clarity, and cross-functional influence. I’m as comfortable building a campaign strategy as I am aligning a CFO, navigating M&A, or managing a content team across 160+ countries. I bring structure to big swings, make the complex simple, and aim to keep it all just a little more human.🧠 Core strengthsBrand strategy & architecture | Campaign development | Employer brand | Corporate comms | GTM & category design | Paid & organic content | Executive visibility | Social & digital | Change comms | M&A integration Speaker & jury roles• ANA Media & Measurement Leadership Council Member• ANA Master\'s of B2B Marketing, b2bOnline, WHPRMS (Keynote)• Clio Health, ANA B2 Awards, B2B Marketing Awards (Jury)• IAA New York, Manufacturers Alliance, Propolis, b2bOnline, Women in Biohealth, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI Entrepreneurship Conference, Women in Manufacturing-Wisconsin (Panelist) Also known for: laughing in the (virtual) office, building high-performing teams, and making things that matter—beautiful, useful, and on-message.

Experience

1. Principal

   K.Rose Creative Llc

   May 2016 — Present · Milwaukee, WI, US

   I help brands, leaders, and organizations transform how they show up — in the market, in the media, and in the moments that matter.As founder of K. Rose Creative, I partner with businesses navigating high-stakes brand moments including launches, rebrands, spin-offs, transformations and mergers & acquistions. My focus is helping teams bring clarity, creativity, and confidence to their strategy so they can lead with a brand that moves people and moves business forward.With 10+ years in brand marketing, including leading global brand strategy for a Fortune 500 healthcare company, I bring both enterprise-level expertise and small-business hustle. I’ve helped startups find their voice, legacy companies modernize their presence, and executives elevate their visibility through storytelling that builds trust, loyalty, and opportunity.At K. Rose Creative, we specialize in:• Brand strategy and messaging architecture• Content and campaign development• Employer brand and culture storytelling• Executive visibility and personal brand strategy• Fractional brand leadership and advisory supportI believe the best brands are human brands built on empathy, purpose, and a clear point of view. When strategy and story align, everything clicks: your team rallies, your audience connects, and your growth accelerates.If you’re preparing for a major brand moment or ready to strengthen your brand’s foundation, let’s connect.

Education

• Københavns Universitet

  Bachelor's Degree

• University of Wisconsin-Madison

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.)