Kristie Cloud

About Kristie Cloud

I am a bundle of opposites. Provoker and defender. Courageous and fearful. Doer and thinker. With time I’ve come to embrace these contrary traits as my superpower. They help me see all sides of a situation. All viewpoints. I’m a natural born troubleshooter, hard wired to see pitfalls and solutions. My north star is generally wanting what’s best for the greater good, and I can be like a dog with a bone in my efforts to get there, patiently impatient as I question, probe, coax and cajole others along the way. Growing up I had to-do lists for myself, and for my dolls. Not much has changed. The mantra in my home growing up was “things have a way of working out”. True to my contrarian nature, part of me was drawn to the concept that the universe somehow always finds a way to right itself, while the other part rebelled, silently screaming “sure, things work out, IF YOU PLAN meticulously!” But the truth is likely somewhere in between, a bundle of opposites, a “both, and”. Like me, a kind contrarian.

Experience

1. Chief Operating Officer & Principal Consultant

   Clarus Consulting Group, Inc

   Aug 2007 — Present

   By instinct, I poke holes in existing thinking and push for ideas others might have failed to see. I find few things more satisfying than stumbling into a complex problem, mining for solutions, then taking all the disparate ideas and crafting a workable solution. I love bringing order to chaos and specialize in managing highly complex projects that require balanced focus on strategic, operational and organizational issues. As COO and principal consultant at Clarus, I lead client engagements with a focus on strategic planning, communications planning, organizational development, facilitation and leadership / team development. My approach is grounded in the belief that organizations achieve success when they have clearly articulated and well-developed plans to direct their future. I work side-by-side with clients, building relationships with intentionality so I can better learn about their unique challenges and opportunities, but mostly because I genuinely like and care about the people I work with. I’m a loyalist by nature, and it’s not uncommon for me to form long-standing friendships with clients that span way beyond our project work. I’m the primary lead for most of Clarus’s large-scale public sector planning projects. I also lead large planning and organizational development projects for non-profits, colleges and universities and privately owned businesses. Leaning into my natural instincts, I can usually find the best and quickest route to any destination, enjoying every minute of anticipating and planning for the potholes, re-routing, and experiences along the way. I might not be your best choice for a last-minute trip around the world or hastily put together planning process, but when your organization needs a thoughtful partner to think critically, foresee potential challenges, and move the conversation and decision-making to a higher level, Clarus should be your next call.

Education

• Birmingham-Southern College

  B.A.

  1986 — 1990