Kathryn Maloney, M.A. ABS

Kathryn Maloney, M.A. ABS

An appreciator of contrast and the exquisite beauty found in the spaces between, Kathryn operates at the dynamic intersection of system complexity and applied behavioral science design, relentlessly driving outcome-based results. With over 25 years of transformative experience, she has catalysed change, seamlessly weaving visionary systems initiatives into strategic priorities. As a trusted advisor and partner, she empowers leaders, founders, and teams to build robust businesses and effect profound change.

Drawing from extensive expertise, Kathryn immerses herself in the intricacies of leadership, communication, operational system designing, horizontal functioning, connective tissue knitting, and collective intelligence. She infuses presence, power, and profound self-awareness into comprehensive organisational strategies, implementing changes that elevate systems and amplify human value. Kathryn’s approach transcends mere complexity management – it’s about mastering it to forge meaningful impact. She empowers organisations to navigate challenges with unwavering clarity and purpose, ensuring that every initiative coheres with the core mission and system aspirations.

Her work isn’t about mere planning strategy – it’s about transforming visions into reality, creating a legacy of innovation, disrupting the status quo, and evolutionary growth.

Automation & Connectivity Era

In a world that often feels paradoxically disconnected despite its connectivity, where change is relentless and resistance accelerating, and where access to intelligence is unprecedented, Kathryn dedicates her time to working with leaders to bridge organisational and era divides. She serves to design priorities, companies, teams, and systems poised to thrive in an era of advanced automation and connectivity, guiding the whole to embody alternative organisational and leadership paradigms. Her enduring focus is helping organisations become more stable, adaptable, and contextually fortified amid multi-dimensional advancements.

Experience & Education

A key aspect of her professional distinctiveness lies in her ability to understand and apply methodologies and technologies without clinging too tightly to them or imposing unrealistic expectations. Kathryn has collaborated with industry giants like Boeing, Boston Consulting Group, Edelman, and GE, as well as government agencies and NGOs such as the United Nations (including the World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator and UNFPA), the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Reserve, the IRS, and Health and Human Services. Her work also spans educational and research institutions like Kaplan and the Rand Corporation, alongside ventures, start-ups and female-founded small businesses. She has founded several practices herself and partnered in the founding and leadership of several others. This breadth of situational experience gives her a deep appreciation and a 50,000-foot perspective when designing, driving, and facilitating strategy for client teams.

Kathryn's academic foundation in Applied Behavioral Sciences is complemented by a systems thinking lens, influenced by the pioneers of organisational development and systems theory from the 20th century. She is trained as a process and systems design consultant, focusing on organizational systems rather than family systems. Her deep expertise in research and data analysis, combined with her rare experience in designing and executing large-scale, rigorous qualitative studies, allows her to facilitate the application of grounded results into system, organisational, and public policy changes effectively.

As a trained executive and systems coach, as well as a master facilitator, Kathryn brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her practice. Her undergraduate studies in Italian Language, Literature, and Art History provide a rich cultural bedrock that informs her teaching and practice today. Her graduate work at the Leadership Institute of Seattle (LIOS) within a naturopathic college (Bastyr University) gave her a practitioner’s tapestry far beyond the traditional theoretical education.

Joys & Studies

A dedicated student of Vedic meditation, yoga, and Eastern philosophy for over a decade, Kathryn synthesises diverse perspectives – including the wisdom of her own intuition – to bring insight and clarity to every moment. She understands easy fixes are rare; instead, she champions presence and a steady, progressive approach for both short- and long-term change.

Among her favorite places are the serene embrace of silence and the invigorating energy of brilliant, loud music. She finds joy in solo travel adventures, art, design, sunshine, the beach, sunsets, and engaging with good people. Kathryn thrives on grappling with ideas, solving riddles, and savoring life’s moments, without taking them too seriously.

While her education and professional experiences have imparted invaluable lessons, Kathryn's greatest motivation and most cherished teacher has always been her son, Sean Simonds. A kind, insightful, and incisive individual, Sean navigates at the intersections of strategy, financial markets, research, policy, and writing for UBS in NYC.