Kandace Kappel, Organizational Change & Development Professional

“I met Kristin after hearing her speak at an event on the SMU campus. Her presentation stood above all the others due to her ability to convey her experience as a Fortune 500 leader into counsel that was spot on with what program attendees wanted. I hired her for some strategic relationship work, credit her with a successful outcome, and consider her my “go-to” whenever questions arise. She sets the standard for professionalism and I consider myself fortunate to know her.”

Linda Beheler, Public Relations/Corporate Communications Leader, Celanese

“Kristin worked with our leadership team to plan a new service delivery model. This consisted of planning and facilitating a two day meeting and follow up to provide a complete summary of all discussions and decisions made. Kristin took time to understand our goals for the meeting and planned the meeting accordingly. Kristin’s facilitative style makes people feel comfortable and willing to participate fully. She listens carefully and makes sure all ideas are heard. She is flexible about managing time–being sure to spend more time when needed. She is very good at linking ideas together, summarizing the discussion and helping groups make decisions.

Kristin did an excellent job for us and we would not hesitate to work with her again.”

Ed Mishrell, Vice President, BGCA

“Our local SHRM chapter featured Kristin as keynote at their annual leadership conference. Kristin was terrific as she elaborated on the vital need for personal branding. She is a gifted, extemporaneous speaker who brings street credibility to the podium. And speaking of podiums, that’s not her style. Kristin moves about the room engaging her audience in conversation rather than speaking at them.”

Kim Gordon
Sr. Business Consultant and Management Instructor, University of Arkansas – Fort Smith

“I received wonderful comments afterwards from the attendees about how great the panel was, and what a gifted speaker Kristin is, with many talents. She inspired them and spurred them on.”

PJ Hoke, Vice President, Marketing, Teknion

“Kristin brought a message to our membership that was fresh and engaging. She has a gift of weaving wonderful stories into practical, useful information that you can use right away. Her knowledge and experience were evident, yet she easily draws you in and helps you see what you can take away to use in your profession (and life!). Our membership enjoyed the time she spent with us and would welcome her back anytime!”

T.R. Woodard, VP Programs, San Antonio Chapter AFP

“I have heard Kristin speak on numerous occasions. She is a wonderfully relevant and motivational speaker. She has an excellent way of communicating her expertise through straightforward persuasive value propositions that impact and transform lives – professionally and personally. Kristin is enthusiastic and passionate about her work. She is a delight to work with and delivers a powerful message!”

PJ Hoke, Vice President, Marketing, Teknion

“I have been working with Kristin as an executive coach for the last year and I can honestly say that the returns on this investment already exceeded my expectations. Kristin is a pleasure to work with, possesses high integrity, and consistently delivers results. Kristin earned my utmost respect and recommendation.”

Philippe Valois, Vice President, North American Sales, Tektronix

“It was my pleasure to be part of an afternoon with Kristin to learn about Alignment. With the age of social media it is funny how that happened…I have been reading Kristin’s blog and had become a Facebook fan. Her tips and ideas seemed like a match for an SHRM Human Resource group. So she was contacted to present, and what a hit! Between the lunch presentation and the workshop afterwards she made an impact. With over a 100 in attendance, the evaluations were the highest of any presenter in the past two years. The demographics of the audience included senior executives which are a tough group to please. Her professionalism and user-friendly approach makes it easy to recommend Kristin Kaufman as a speaker, coach and friend.”

Angela Robinson, Publisher, The JOB Guide

“Our company has worked with Kristin in many capacities over the last couple of years, including executive mentoring, management consulting, and team event facilitation. Recently, she facilitated a management workshop titled Collaboration for the Front Line. The event covered a wide variety of issues, all focused on how successful organizations use collaboration to improve their overall effectiveness. Kristin organized and facilitated a learning atmosphere; she applied her high energy and enthusiasm to make it fun for the participants, and the content made a lasting impact on many of the mid-level management staff in our Irving Operations Center. Thank you, Kristin, for a job well done”

David Viestenz, Vice President, HMS

“We decided to re-book Kristin for 2011 literally 5 minutes after she spoke at our 5th Annual Carrer Symposium organized by Kellogg School of Management DFW Alumni Club in 2010, since we got rave reviews right after both her sessions. Our formal survey soon validated our decision: Kristin was the highest rated speaker at our event! Mind you, our event is attended by top business school MBA graduates, with 81% of the attendees ranking our event’s overall content as excellent and 94% saying they will attend the following year. So, Kristin was competing against a group of high caliber speakers. This year, Kristin again took the lead in survey results; attendees gave feedback commentary like “compelling, relevant, and authentic,” “great presenter,” “very high energy!” and “very explicit and clear actions and takeaways that I could go act upon”…We cannot wait to have Kristin back again.”

Holly Yao, President, Northwestern Kellogg Career Symposium

“Kristin is first and foremost authentic. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Kristin as my coach and as my friend. She is a careful listener who has helped me feel support when I need to find my path, she is a tactical guide when I’ve needed to formulate a plan for success, and she is an honest sounding board when I’ve needed to hear the truth come back to me. Kristin is a talented professional who I can wholeheartedly endorse.”

Daphne Barlow, President, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth
ALIGNMENT™ client

“Kristin is a remarkable woman with exceptional insight and wisdom. She has great integrity, an incredible work ethic, and is very thorough in the work she does for her clients. I routinely call upon Kristin when faced with thorny business problems and find that she is an expert at navigating through issues of life/work in a manner encompassing both compassion and experience. Kristin’s strengths are her abilities to guide structured thinking and to pose challenging questions that address the core issue. The process of working with Kristin is stimulating, thought provoking, and ultimately led me to the decision to continue building up Pearls & Pinstripes, a networking group I started in 2008. I continue to rely on Kristin for actionable advice.”

Ashlee Woods
ALIGNMENT™ client

“Kristin is both a wonderful person and a phenomenal professional resource. She has an engaging approach that helps you uncover the roadblocks and address the challenges in your business and career. Her insight and experience lead to out-of-the-box creativity and aide in uncovering the answers you are seeking. While books, articles, etc. are a good source for continuing business education, there is no substitute for the value of a strong executive coach like Kristin. My time with Kristin has been well spent, and I highly recommend the investment to others.”

Mark Kelly
ALIGNMENT™ client

“There simply isn’t enough room here to write the glowing praises I have for Kristin Kaufman. Smart, Savvy, Strategic thinker, Articulate, Gifted writer, Great personality, Accountable, Creative, Responsible, Fun, Dedicated and so forth. Kristin defines transformational leadership! I had the good fortune of working with her for many years at HP and I still benefit every day from the experience. Her very presence in a room makes it a special place. Kristin is an innovative motivator that brings out the very best in those around her. She is an effective listener who knows how to meet people’s needs. Her tireless work ethic, rare insight into a constantly changing industry/economy and repeated displays of spot-on judgment earn her innumerable followers. Incredibly responsive, even with an always packed schedule, Kristin shines at building sincere and lasting relationships. Most recently she helped me figure out what I wanted to do with the next half of my career. I asked how I could never repay her and she replied just ‘play-it-forward.’ If you are ever lucky enough to work with Kristin, absorb all you can.”

Janet Yauch, Economic Development Committee, Houston Technology Center
Was with another company when working with Kristin at ALIGNMENT™

“Kristin deserves something way beyond the normal warm words of praise that we are all apt to use. Kristin is an incredibly rare person that is truly business savvy and yet the epitome of a real people person. Her energy is captivating and her sensitivity alluring. Don’t be fooled though into thinking these qualities don’t mix in today’s business world, Kristin is a true achiever that redefines what it means to soar. I worked with Kristin in her leadership role at HP and have kept in touch over many years as she has enriched her experience through diverse opportunities and challenges. If one was to strip away those that mattered in ones career from those that did not, most would be left with Kristin as a star in every sense of the word. She goes on to impresses in how she can excel at whatever she turns her hand to with her Alignment venture and a blog which demonstrates a multi faceted individual that is in tune and at ease with the world around her.”

Peter Read, Global Accounts Director, Hewlett-Packard
ALIGNMENT™ client

“You know how you work with some people and you immediately see that they ‘get it?’ Well, Kristin ‘get’s it.’ She listens to what you are doing professionally, what your company is doing and what your customers are doing and then weighs in with spot on advice and counsel. It’s one of those wonderful times when you find someone who clearly understands what makes a market tick. If you need to energize yourself, your team, your company or your customers – listen to what Kristin has to say. It’s well worth your time and resources.”

Steve Lee, President, QuickSilver Interactive Group, Inc.
ALIGNMENT™ consultant or contractor

The leadership coaching and guidance I have received this past year have given me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and tackle projects and tough situations head on. I am thinking more strategically and indeed, more creatively, all due to my time with Kristin. I would recommend this company to anyone looking to grow and advance professionally as well as personally.

April Foran, Corporate Communications, Parkland hospital
ALIGNMENT™ client

“Kristin is a rare individual who is a very competent business leader and a passionate advocate for causes she believes in. I have worked with Kristin in grant cycles for the Dallas Womens Foundation that have permanently marked my life. She has great discernment about need, motivations, processes, and improvement steps that would really help. She’s very generous with her time and talent, and knows how to work with all sorts of people and situations. I look forward to the next project that we work on together.”

Jane Schoen, Manager, Relationship Marketing, Texas Instruments
Was with another company when working with Kristin at ALIGNMENT™

“Kristin was my customer on a sales effectiveness project, she was a delight to work with, providing great insight and leadership to make the project a success for her company.”

Debra Fox, Business Consulting Director, Siebel
Worked directly with Kristin at United Health Group

“I had the privilege of working with Kristin in the New York City Leadership Academy. The goal of our work was to develop the leadership skills of newly promoted principals in the New York city schools, many of whom were skeptical of the tools we were delivering. Kristin has a wide range of skills and talents she utilizes in every endeavor she undertakes. She has an innate ability to identify the key issues to address to improve results and then uses her extensive knowledge and experience to assist individuals or team members to achieve them. Kristin’s background in results oriented, highly competitive industries have honed her skills to quickly assess a situation and to develop an approach to resolve issues. She quickly gains a person’s confidence and trust which enable her to help them internalize, accept and act on the message she is delivering. Her energy and enthusiasm are contagious and help every group in which she interacts achieve more than they ever thought possible.”

Judy Raica, Business Consultant, Self Employed
Worked directly with Kristin at New York City Leadership Academy; New York City Public School System

“Kristin and I had the distinct privilege of working with Bob Knowling, CEO of NYC Leadership Academy and Chancellor Joel Klein as part of Mayor Bloomberg’s Children First school reform agenda. The NYC Leadership Academy was the centerpiece of this reform because transformational leadership skills were deemed crucial to the effort. The goal of this reform was/is to create a system of outstanding schools led by strong principals where every child and teacher has access to effective teaching and learning. Kristin and I joined this non-profit effort to support the Mayor’s reformation of the New York City public school system in 2003, as private sector business executives teaching business leadership curriculum to 1200 principals of the NYC public school system and the top 100 executives on Joel Klein’s staff. Kristin’s work was exceptional in helping principals understand the power of strategic change levers and building conceptual bridges between business concepts and educational challenges. Her credibility arose from a blend of real-world experience – Kristin has led change in Fortune 500 and entrepreneurial organizations – and her personal charisma and empathy. She is a strong thinker and a powerful communicator.”

Susan Marshall, Owner, Executive Advisor, LLC
Worked with Kristin at New York City Leadership Academy; New York City Public School System

“I had the pleasure and fortune of working for Kristin when she headed up the channels organization at Vignette. Many will tell you they are leaders; Kristin demonstrates it. She seeks opportunities to develop her team and moves team members to higher levels of performance. As a person of integrity, she cares not just about getting the job done, but getting it done right. It would be a pleasure to work with Kristin again!”

Nathaniel Bruce, Sr. Director, Business Development, Open Text
Reported to Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“I have had the pleasure of working with Kristin as a business partner in separate companies (HP and Oracle) and working for Kristin at Vignette. She is an extraordinary alliance professional who focuses on delivering bottom line results but always with her customer or partner’s best interest in mind. Kristin is one of those rare individuals who can craft a strategy – and drive it to reality.”

Richard Akers, Senior Director, EDS Global Alliance, Vignette Corporation
Reported to Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“I had the pleasure to work with Kristin while at Vignette. **She was someone who I enjoyed working with a great deal based on her experience, knowledge of the industry and most of all passion for results. Her commitment to the business as well as her ‘clients’ is something that many people can learn from. She is definitely a seasoned business executive that can handle herself in any situation. In developing the programs at Vignette, she took a very disciplined approach and worked with the various constituencies to ensure that all needs as well as expectations were met. One of Kristin’s greatest strengths is her ability to effectively communicate across all levels of an organization.”

Ritch Haenke, Senior Vice President, Global Customer Care & Education Services, Vignette
Worked with Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“Kristin came to Vignette when there was no clear partnering strategy. In a very short time Kristin worked with senior management and her entire team to build a cohesive and executable strategy that the entire company could understand and more importantly sell with. Kristin’s management strategy is one of inclusion which transformed a fractured partnering organization into a well performing team that enjoyed working together and drove real business. I highly recommend Kristin as she has great strategic insight and management skills.”

Tom Crawford, Alliance Manager, Vignette
Worked indirectly for Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“Kristin is one of the most professional & experienced alliances & channels people I have come across during my 20 year career in the IT sector. She has an amazing combination of business acumen, drive & commitment to achievement of business goals with a culture of leading by example to maximize the performance of both her team & her peers. Kristin’s expertise would be an asset to any organization – I cannot recommend her highly enough.”

Grant Price, Director Strategic Alliances, Vignette
Reported to Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“Kristin is the definition of ‘Leader.’ She is professional and poised, has exceptional communication skills, handles challenges with a positive outlook, and is able to handle complex situations graciously with her vast knowledge and experience. She’s perceptive which enabled her to do so well at building the alliance channel at Vignette. The internal and external challenges would have overwhelmed someone with less experience and patience. Kristin understood what it took to build an organization and create programs that added value quickly. Not only was she my manager, she was also my mentor. She shared her knowledge and experience freely and was always a positive force in any situation. She led by example, both from a professional as well as personal basis. Her personal attributes and strengths were empathy, honesty, integrity, and dedication, among many others. She always did the right thing for the right reason. She led by example and that example was far and above anything most people would ever dream of. I count myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work for her and would jump at the chance to work with or for her again.”

Vaughn Bradley, World Wide Partner Program Manager, Vignette
Reported to Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“Kristin is the consummate professional. She managed and motivated her team to the highest expectations ensuring the attainment of corporate goals in line with corporate strategy. Kristin is a key addition to any organization at the executive level.”

Aram Bazarian, Business Development Manager, Alliances, Vignette Corporation
Reported to Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“Kristin is a determined, dedicated and clear- thinking leader. She excels at planning and implementing holistic business processes around the “big picture” to meet a business goal. She’s also simply a good person to have around in the workplace. I’ll work with her again anytime.”

Bob Robinson Vice President & General Counsel – Americas, Vignette Corporation
Worked with Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“Kristin was very professional, very personable, and very organized in the context of her alliance work between Vignette and Deloitte Consulting. I have no hesitation recommending her for any role in which interpersonal skills, business sense, and professionalism are valued.”

Jeff Farin, Principal, Deloitte Consulting
Was with another company when working with Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“Kristen and I worked as peers at Vignette Corporation. She is the consummate professional who took a channel’s organization that had very little direction, focus and operational structure and was able to, in a very short period of time, drive a significant revenue funnel for the company. I am honored to have worked with Kristin, someone whom I have learned a lot from and whom I include within my professional network.”

Holly Whalen, VP of Worldwide Sales Operations – Clear Intentions Strategic Consulting, Vignette Corporation
Worked with Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“Kristen was hired at Vignette during a time that Vignette had no partner strategy. Vignette had many business partners, but provided very little direction, programs or channels for partners to go to market with Vignette until Kristen’s intervention. Kristen was able to quickly assess the situation, build a partner strategy and roll it out to the company and partner community taking Vignette’s partner organization to the next level. Kristen was excellent at building relationships, gathering ideas and articulating her plans and strategy. Her presentations skills are excellent. I truly enjoyed working with Kristen and would love to work with her again someday.”

Jerianne Bridwell, Account Manager, Sun Microsystems
Was with another company when working with Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“I worked closely with Kristin as she established a strong working relationship between BearingPoint and Vignette. Kristin is very good at establishing working relationships and finding connection points between companies.”

David Sanders, Senior Vice President, BearingPoint
Was with another company when working with Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“I worked closely with Kristin to redefine Vignette’s channel and alliances programs. Together we overcame significant challenges internally and with our partners. Kristin’s amazing partnering and communication skills kept the diverse needs and often opposing points of view of her constituents focused on a winning course. I believe Kristin is one of the best partner and alliance managers in the business. I would gladly work with Kristin again and strongly recommend her.”

Jeanne Urich, SVP Global Professional Services, Education and Account Management, Vignette Corporation
Worked with Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“Kristin is an absolute Pro. As a leader and mentor she understands what makes organizations, teams and individuals perform to their fullest potential. She openly shares her knowledge and experiences with others for the betterment of the whole and always acts with the highest levels of integrity. She has a superb understanding of what it takes to build and deliver a world class partner program that drives mutual success for the partners, customers and the organization. Her constant and unwavering support for doing the right thing creates strong loyalty and results for partners, customers, employees and shareholders. Any organization working with Kristin is fortunate to have such a top notch leader and advocate on their team.”

Matt Barrett, Business Development Executive, Vignette Corporation
Reported to Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“Kristin is a great professional, with her strength clearly in her leadership ability. I worked closely with Kristin, and frequently through difficult situations. She always focused on the right thing to do for all parties involved, and this win – win approach produced outstanding results.”

Andrew Timblin, Director, Federal Government, Vignette Corporation
Worked indirectly for Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“Kristen provided our company with a tremendous focus on developing a world-class partner program. She continually sought ways to provide a win-win relationship for both the partner and Vignette. I would work with Kristen again without hesitation.”

Randy Vescelius, Sr. Director, WW Sales Engineering, Vignette Corporation
Worked with Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“Integrity. Kristin talks the talk and walks the walk. She is a shining example of what leadership is all about. In the face of adversity, she digs in. In the light of praise, she openly distributes it. Her intuition, experience, dedication, and positive attitude will add tremendous value to any organization across any vertical. When you work with Kristin Kaufman you will feel enriched in your personal and professional life and your company will be greatly rewarded.”

Robert Knickman, Managing Director SE Asia, Vignette Corporation
Reported to Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“Kristin is one of the best leaders I’ve encountered in my career. She has the ability to see challenges from a refreshing ‘win-win’ perspective, and she always approached business partnerships from a holistic, long term point of view. Her energy and enthusiasm is infectious. Art L.”

Art Lewandowski, Director of Business Development, Viditalk
Reported to Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“Kristin did a outstanding job of managing the alliances team at Vignette. Outstanding because there were many challenges, both internal and external, that she faced on a daily baisis. External challenges came from the diverse group of large and small partners, many of whom either had previously established relationships with Vignette’s competitors or others that were just beginning to get to know the content management space and Vignette as a solution. Both types of partners placed demands on Vignette for training and professional services support. Internally it was a challenging job because of the intense pressure for sales results from a group of partners that were just getting to know Vignette in an industry with several other entrenched competitors. Building alliances is something that takes time, patience and investment. Kristin knows the process and takes the time to do it right.”

George Elliman, Global Alliance Executive, Vignette Corporation
Reported to Kristin at Vignette Corporation

“I was honored with the opportunity to work for Kristin when she managed the EDS Global Alliance Team. She is one of the most dynamic people I have ever met and I found myself inspired by her leadership both personally and professionally. Of all the teams I worked on at HP this was one of the best, and some of my most treasured memories come from those years. I have come to learn that a “true” team is a reflection of its leader, and that is what Kristin was to all of us. In her own words, “we had a well-oiled-machine” during those years and I truly believe that stemmed from Kristin’s enthusiasm, leadership, strength and sheer joy of positively leading and maintaining a cohesive team. She was not only a great communicator, but she always listened when others had something to say. Besides all of the things I gained from working for Kristin, I walked away with one of my strongest values that she engrained in me; Kristin told me early on “You have something to learn from everyone” and this is so true. When I think of Kristin I think of her wonderful smile, genuine drive, and long standing strength. I consider myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work for her, learn from her and be a part of her team as well as a friend. She stands out well above many, not only to me, but to those fortunate enough to have had her in their lives. She’s a true shining star who gives from the heart, always, and an inspiration to those blessed to have crossed paths with her in their life.”

Coleen Hildebrandt, Alliance Manager, Hewlett-Packard
Reported to Kristin at Hewlett-Packard

“Kristin and I worked together at HP for several years and it was always a pleasure. I supported her sales group in both business development and marketing roles in the retail/and distribution vertical. Kristin is very bright and a quick study. She would always make sure that she understood the industry and accounts backwards and forwards before a sales engagement. Kristin is extremely knowledgeable in whatever she tackles and is always well versed, prepared, organized and willing to go the extra mile in whatever she does. She is a true leader and knows how to rally a team and collaborate across organizations better than anyone else. Her positive attitude, enthusiasm and inspiration make you want to work hard to achieve the goal at hand and win! ** (maybe this one for the blog page?)She has great ideas and leadership skills which is evident in her blog “Between the Lines”. Kristin hits the mark with her timely, insightful and relevant commentary that we all are thinking about – but may never express. I highly recommend Kristin as a seasoned business professional with strong leadership and management skills across the board. I would love to work with her again if the opportunity ever arose. She is truly one of a kind!”

Cassandra Moren, Senior Retail Business Development & Industry Alliance Manager, Hewlett-Packard
Worked directly with Kristin at Hewlett-Packard

“Kristin is a very talent person that always achieve what is measured on. She know how to deal with customer and most important how to help them to achieve their business objectives. She also always helped the people around her to be more successful providing ideas and best practices. I really enjoy working closer to Kristin. Fabio Fontana”

Fabio Fontana, WW Partners & Channels , Hewlett-Packard
Worked directly with Kristin at Hewlett-Packard

“Kristin has a great ability to motivate teams and influence her extended resources. She is a talented leader and manager that naturally coaches others to achieve a mutual goal.”

Robert Fox, Senior Principal Consultant, Siebel Systems
Was a consultant or contractor to Kristin at Hewlett-Packard

“I had the opportunity to work with Kristin for several years, and found her to be a consummate professional–organized, creative, a good communicator and always upbeat. Kristin is a great team-player, someone who is always thinking ahead and collaborating with others to come up with the right solution.”

Charlie Schreiber, Alliance Manager, Hewlett-Packard
Reported to Kristin at Hewlett-Packard

“Kristin always approaches her professional life with intensity, integrity, and a high level of energy. That combination always produced her desired results and exceeded her clients and other stakeholder’s expectations.”

Dean Fortune, District Sales Manager, Hewlett-Packard
Worked with Kristin at Hewlett-Packard