In true K&P fashion, we asked Catherine a few questions to get to know her better:
What do you love the most about PR?
I love the fact that we get to showcase different aspects of a company while keeping a pulse on the current landscape of society. It’s not only about providing communication solutions to client needs, but also making sure these solutions authentically represent and reflect the society in which we live in and the world in general.
Tell us about the moment you decided you wanted to be in PR?
During one of my PR classes in university, we had a crisis simulation where I acted as the PR spokesperson. I did not know what to do, but I had this rush and stayed on top of the key messages. In this moment, I realized I made the right choice by going into communication studies but also discovered I had a knack for PR. That also happened when I participated in the communication games as a student (a national communication competition between French speaking universities) and signed up for the PR portion of the competition. It was intense but rewarding experience that challenged me to find the right solutions and words.
What has been your proudest career moment to date?
A couple of years ago, I wrote a piece about one of my dad’s annual reunions with his classmates and friends from university that was printed in the local newspaper. They get together every year and bring their families and it’s always fun to hear their stories from their time at school. They all still talk about the article or ask me to write another one whenever they see me. They’ve even printed the photo I used in the article and put it on a calendar as a parting gift for one of their reunions. My dad loved the content, so as cheesy as that sounds, this has been my proudest career moment to date, as a professional but mostly as a daughter.
What are you looking forward to in your new role at K&P?
Being fully immersed in PR and working on a wide range of clients. I am excited to provide insights from both an English and French perspective and seeing how they can be similar or different depending on the scenario. I’m also looking forward to working with other colleagues who are experts at what they do in the communications field.
Who inspires you?
Condoleezza Rice is one of my inspirations. She has succeeded in her political career becoming the first black woman to hold a position as secretary of state and the first woman to become security advisor in the United States. These are also not the only ‘firsts’ in her resumé. She has also accomplished great things in her academic career and is a gifted musician. It is always amazing to read about her career and life, especially since she grew up in a time when there were even more barriers for black women or minorities in general.
What TV series are you into right now?
I watch a lot of TV shows and like to think of myself as an unofficial show critic (the audience typically consists of myself and whoever is around me while I talk about these shows). Lately, I’ve been watching Only Murders in The Building with Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez. I’ve also just finished The Bear on FX, which is not about an actual bear, but about a family style restaurant in Chicago recently inherited by a remarkable young chef after a family tragedy. I’ve also been watching Irma Vep with Alicia Vikander, and while I’m not too sure where the show is heading, I still haven’t missed an episode! I could go on, but I’ve narrowed my list down to these shows.
Bienvenue, Catherine! We look forward to working with you and are thrilled to have you on the team!