Kelly (Kleinkort) Montes joined Catalyst in May 2019 and serves as the Executive Director of US Corporate Engagement. She is responsible for the cadre of US Relationship Managers and the Expert Community at Catalyst. She works with her team to continue growing the Catalyst brand and supporter base in the US, connecting more companies and leaders to Catalyst tools, actionable research, and thought leadership to build more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces.

With two decades of leadership experience in the public sector, Kelly’s experience includes working with Fortune 100, 500, and 1000 companies, foreign governments, and institutions of higher education to build inclusive practices, collaborative partnerships, and research and exchange for connection across peoples and cultures. Kelly is a frequent speaker on unconscious bias, inclusive leadership, conversations across differences, emotional tax, and allyship.

She is a Fulbright Scholar as well as a Young Sinologist, a fellowship awarded by the Chinese Ministry of Social Sciences. Kelly holds a BA in Speech Communication from Texas A&M University, an MPA from UNC-Chapel Hill and a language certificate from Inner Mongolia University of China, where she lived and worked for three years.