Kate Vitasek

Lauded by World Trade Magazine as one of the “Fabulous 50+1” most influential people impacting global commerce, Kate Vitasek is an international authority for her award- winning research and Vested® business model for highly-collaborative relationships. Vitasek, an author, educator, and business consultant, offers practical and research-based advice for driving transformation and innovation through highly-collaborative and strategic partnerships. She has written seven books, including: Vested: How P&G, McDonald’s and Microsoft Are Redefining Winning in Business Relationships, Contracting in the New Economy, Vested Outsourcing: Five Rules that Transform Outsourcing and Getting to We: Negotiating Agreements for Highly Collaborative Relationships.

Vitasek has been featured on CNN International, Bloomberg, NPR, Fox Business News, and Forbes. She also has been featured in over 300 articles in publications including Harvard Business Review, Chief Executive Magazine, Information Week, CIO Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Journal of Commerce, and World Financial Review. She is the lead faculty and researcher for Vested and has launched the University of Tennessee’s Certified Deal Architect program.

Vitasek is passionate in her quest to help companies transform their business relationships. She inspires and motivates business leaders in University courses (both onsite and virtually), and gives her popular keynote addresses at major industry events and conferences around the world.

Prior to joining the University of Tennessee, Vitasek’s storied career includes positions with P&G, Microsoft, Accenture, Stream International and Supply Chain Visions—a boutique-consulting firm she founded, which was recognized by ARC Advisory Group as one of the “10 Coolest” boutique-consulting firms.