Kathie Peña

About Kathie Peña

I am an enterprise transformation and operational excellence leader focused on helping complex organizations turn strategy into scalable execution.I specialize in redesigning how work happens across teams, systems, and governance structures to help highly matrixed, regulated environments move faster while maintaining strong risk, compliance, and quality standards.My experience spans operating model design, platform and workflow transformation, risk and controls integration, and cross-functional execution strategy. I am particularly passionate about building environments where teams can move with speed and confidence without sacrificing customer trust or regulatory integrity.I am known for:• Bringing structure and clarity to complex, fragmented ecosystems• Translating enterprise strategy into real-world execution• Designing operating models that balance speed, risk, and quality• Leading cross-functional transformation across business, product, technology, and risk• Enabling teams to thrive inside large, fast-moving organizationsWhile much of my experience sits within enterprise customer ecosystems, my focus is broader: fixing how organizations operate, scale, and execute transformation sustainably.I am especially energized by transformation roles across financial services, healthcare, enterprise technology, and mission-driven organizations operating at scale.

Experience

1. Director, Marketing Transformation

   American Express

   Mar 2023 — Present · New York, NY, US

   Lead enterprise transformation initiatives focused on modernizing operating models, platform adoption, and execution frameworks across complex, highly regulated customer and marketing ecosystems.Designed and executed enterprise enablement strategy for next-generation marketing platform, driving adoption across 150+ users and improving speed-to-market by 25% through workflow redesign, usability testing frameworks, and scalable adoption models.Architected enterprise-grade governance, risk, and control frameworks (SOP ecosystems, post-launch validation controls, proactive channel monitoring) to enable faster execution while maintaining regulatory and compliance integrity across digital and traditional channels.Implemented data-driven demand forecasting and capacity optimization models to improve resource allocation, execution predictability, and operational efficiency across large-scale program portfolios.Expanded enterprise personalization capabilities by integrating new data attributes into customer activation platforms, increasing platform adoption and advancing enterprise data-driven decisioning maturity.

Education

• Pratt Institute

  BFA, Communication Design

  1996 — 2000

Skills

• Team-Oriented
• Omniture
• Management
• Sales
• Strategic Thinking
• Email Marketing
• Adaptability
• Fashion
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Efficiency
• Marketing Strategy
• Merchandising
• Brand Awareness
• Microsoft Excel
• Database Marketing
• Marketing
• Marketing Communications
• E-Commerce
• Retail
• Multi Tasking
• Mobile Marketing
• Direct Marketing
• Web Analytics
• Project Management