About Katie

Katie Neal is an award-winning communications executive and leadership coach.

As the principal of Katie Neal Consulting & Coaching, she helps communications, marketing and media professionals advance their careers and transform their lives through executive coaching, communications consulting, and specialized workshops.

Katie’s 20-year track record includes leading teams responsible for branding, strategic communications, media relations, crisis communications, reputation management, integrated marketing, visual identity and social media. With a focus on strategic communications, public relations, marketing and media professionals, Katie’s firsthand understanding of her clients’ big-picture goals and daily stressors enable her to effectively connect with them on a professional and personal level.

Katie previously has served as Vice President of Communications and Marketing at TimelyCare, an independent communications consultant, and Assistant Vice President of News & Communications at Wake Forest University. A former broadcast journalist, she also worked at PR agencies in Sacramento, Calif., San Francisco, Singapore, and Winston-Salem, N.C.

Katie earned her B.A. in communication from Wake Forest University and her certificate in Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance at American University, an International Coaching Federation (ICF) accredited program. She currently serves as president of the PRSA Thoroughbred Chapter in Lexington, Ky., where she lives with her family.

  • "Katie's great value was clarifying my doubts after a forced transition and restoring confidence that I could meet the challenge."

    Emery D.

    Journalist and Storyteller

  • "Katie opened my eyes to certain aspects of a recent career shift and coached me on what to consider when making decisions as I continue to grow and learn in a new field. Because Katie went through the same early in her career, I knew she’d be the perfect person to guide me through the process. She’s been beyond helpful and I love our time together! I leave each session motivated with clearer ideas as to what to do next."

    Michele C.

    Social Media Specialist

  • "Katie cares about her clients and is so dedicated to her craft. We quickly created a deep, insightful safe space where I felt very comfortable sharing my challenges and opportunities. This was because Katie built a safe place to land. As a result, I have greater clarity and self-awareness of issues that I hadn't realized had been mental blocks for me. I can’t wait to see what we uncover in our next session! It was transformative work – 100% recommend!"

    Andrea Gils Monzón

    CEO & Founder, Shiftmakers Consulting

  • “I am so glad I chose to work with Katie! She is sharp, kind, strategic, and an excellent coach for communications professionals looking to take their careers to the next level. She expertly guided me through key steps of a career transition — networking, applications, interviewing, and compensation/benefits negotiations — and helped me to focus my energies on what was most important to me. I ended up with two excellent offers and recently accepted a dream role in executive communications.”

    Leah Sink Haynes, Ph.D.

    Speechwriter, Executive Communications, Wake Forest University

  • "'Energetic communicator' is the phrase that comes to mind when I think about Katie. Katie stepped in while my PR director was on maternity leave to collaborate on the media strategy for the launch of the first UNCSA comprehensive campaign in decades. Katie was knowledgeable about who and where to pitch our announcement and her efforts resulted in an unexpected volume of coverage featuring several leadership interviews (radio, television, and print). Above all, I was impressed with Katie’s dedication to the cause. Katie Neal comes with my heartfelt recommendation."

    Claire Machamer

    SVP of Communications and Marketing, Berklee College of Music

  • “Katie asked incredibly thoughtful and insightful questions that helped me to dig deep into the WHY behind WHAT I was saying. Her approach inspired me to chart a course with intention and empowered me to feel more in control of my future.”

    Carolyn Becker

    Deputy Director of Public Affairs and Communications, California State Lottery