2023 Global Leaders in Consulting: Kathryn Rock

Kathryn Rock is a Partner within Guidehouse's Financial Services segment. With over 20 years of experience advising banks, nonbank lenders and servicers, private equity companies, hedge funds, large technology companies and fintechs, and Government Sponsored Enterprises, Kate specializes in providing solutions that help clients transform their business, minimize risk and address regulatory requirements. She manages large complex projects focused on supporting large program implementations and providing risk management, controls, and regulatory compliance as well as operational strategy and effectiveness solutions. She has managed teams focused on the industry's most critical issues such as Environmental, Social and Governance, the Paycheck Protection Program, the Independent Foreclosure Review resulting from the financial crisis, and key litigation cases impacting and shaping our industry.

Kate started her career auditing various financial services clients domestically and internationally.

Kate is currently Immediate Past President and serves on the Board of Women in Housing and Finance, Inc. (WHF). WHF is a premier non-partisan, nonprofit forum for business and policy experts to share their views and insights.

What do you consider your greatest personal or professional achievement?

Most recently, I'm proud of our Guidehouse team's work during the COVID-19 pandemic, where we had the opportunity to support some of the largest stimulus packages and their underlying programs, ultimately supporting efforts to provide funding to those in need. Additionally, I've been involved in Women in Housing & Finance, Inc. (WHF) for a number of years. WHF is a premier non-partisan, nonprofit forum for business and policy experts to share their views and insights. WHF provides opportunities to learn about housing and financial services developments, network with other professionals in the field, and meet with regulators and other government officials. I've been fortunate to have additional leadership opportunities with WHF, including serving as the president, and have had the opportunity to build lifelong friendships and learn from our diverse and knowledgeable speakers and members. I enjoy learning about potential policies and considering how those may impact my clients so we can be prepared to support them operationalize any final policies, rules, regulations, etc.

What advice would you give a professional just beginning a career in consulting?

One piece of advice is to focus on networking, both externally with clients and internally, to build relationships as well as your knowledge and expertise. It's also about more than networking—it also includes establishing a process to help you be efficient and effective at networking.

What have you loved most about your consulting career?

It's two things—the people and our work.

Our team members are key to everything that we do. I enjoy seeing our team grow and continue to bring new ideas and perspectives to solve problems in creative ways. I enjoy collaborating and working with them to help grow our business and/or solve a challenge/problem. We can always learn from each other, and then bring that additional knowledge and expertise to our next clients and our other team members.

In terms of our work, we are partnering with our clients to help them solve their toughest challenges. As an example previously mentioned, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had the opportunity to support some of the largest stimulus packages and their underlying programs, ultimately supporting efforts to provide funding to those in need. Additionally, we were one of 14 independent consultants to finish the Independent Foreclosure Review resulting from the financial crisis.

What's the best advice—personal or professional—you've ever received?

Life is a marathon. We can do it all, just not at the same time.

What does being honored as a Global Leader mean to you?

I am very excited and honored to be recognized in the category of Excellence in Client Services. It inspires me to continue to partner with my colleagues at Guidehouse to help our clients solve their most complex challenges, providing innovative, but practical solutions.