KEVIN KAYE
Principal
A natural affinity towards accounting and finance, alongside an authentic human approach towards building relationships and appreciating the in-demand skills businesses need to succeed, describes Kevin Kaye professionally and personally. Right after graduating from the University of Iowa, Kevin joined Bidwell & Company as a staff accountant. Embracing his strengths in relating to others through genuine conversation and communication, growing a network, and problem solving, Kevin identified a natural fit to apply these technical and soft skills to benefit the accounting and finance community. He then joined one of the world’s largest staffing and recruitment firms, Robert Half International. Over the course of eight years Kevin developed and grew the company’s presence in Vancouver, Chicago, and Portland, quickly becoming a key contributor in successfully training and mentoring high-performance teams. READ MORE
ERIN JEWELL
Practice Lead, Executive Search
With a commitment to being fair to all parties involved, Erin serves as part negotiator, consultant, client service representative and listener. Knowing the process from beginning to end, both the rewards of matching talent with an organization and the challenges of kicking off a search, Erin stays focused on building meaningful relationships with individuals and hiring managers. Making the verbal offer, to Erin, is one of her favorite steps in the recruitment process, where she shares the excitement alongside the candidate as they envision themselves in their new role. READ MORE
LAURA WITTER-JOHNSON
Chief Financial Officer
Laura is an operationally focused finance and accounting executive with years of experience managing and directing financial organizations and the full spectrum of responsibilities needed to align with a company’s mission and long-term growth objectives. She is a Certified Public Accountant who started her career in auditing at KPMG and went on to roles with increasing levels of responsibility at several technology enterprises, most recently as CFO of a Chicago-based software company. She has been a key contributor in the successful sale of five different organizations throughout her career. READ MORE
JAMES LEWIS
Vice President, Project Resources
James brings nearly 20 years recruiting and career coaching experience to Katalyst Group. A quintessential people person, James is dedicated to fostering meaningful connections in both personal and professional realms. Throughout his career, he has played pivotal roles as a leader and contributor across diverse organizations, spanning boutique startups to global corporations. READ MORE
KARA CLARKE
Executive Talent Partner
Kara joins Katalyst Group with over 20 years of recruiting experience for high-growth clients across industries ranging from Saas startups, VC and Private Equity and now Finance, Accounting and HR. As Executive Talent Partner, Kara is excited to collaborate with her colleagues, building high-performance teams that drive organizational success. Kara’s approach emphasizes the importance of personalized interactions in the recruitment process, believing they are key to establishing lasting, trust-based relationships with both candidates and clients. READ MORE
MARA PERLOW
Director of Marketing and Communications
From a young age, Mara developed a keen interest to the messaging behind products and services. Sitting attentively, on the other side of the phone calls her trailblazer grandmother was making selling classified ads for a major financial magazine, Mara understood the importance of the story behind the product and service. Hearing those well-crafted messages, Mara started to develop her own storytelling style, enjoying the creative process and seeing her version make an impact towards increasing customer engagement and the sales cycle. READ MORE
JEREMY BLAUSER
Executive Talent Partner
With over 30 years of combined experience in talent acquisition, leadership, and strategic program management, Jeremy is a true talent in executive recruiting and team development. His career spans an impressive trajectory, from private sector roles in accounting, recruiting, and project management to over two decades of dedicated service in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. READ MORE
COREY NEWMAN
Senior Director of Talent Acquisition
Corey Newman joined Katalyst Group as the Senior Director of Talent Acquisition, bringing over 15 years of experience in accounting and executive recruiting. As a Certified Public Accountant and graduate of the Kelley School of Business with degrees in Accounting and Marketing from Indiana University Bloomington, Corey approaches talent acquisition with first-hand knowledge of in-demand skills and an appreciation of soft skills. Additionally, he is committed to serving as a trusted advisor to clients and candidates alike. READ MORE
