In Their Voices: Katherine Cleary Johnston

March 31, 2022 | Company News

Director of Client Experience for Revenue Manager, Redi2 Technologies, Inc.

Katherine, Director of Client Experience for Redi2’s Revenue Manager line of business, has been on the job less than three years. During that time, despite unprecedented COVID-19 obstacles, she has moved from Client Service Analyst to Business Analyst to Director—a position she has held for seven months.

“I hired Katherine into the company in June of 2019, from day one it was obvious she had an abundance of talent. We promoted her quickly and she has been off to the races ever since,” said Kevin Holmes, Director of Operations.

Katherine graduated with a degree in accounting and business economics from Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. Her interest in technology developed during a summer internship. “My background is accounting and economics but during my internship at a large financial institution, l found myself in the technology division and it opened my eyes to how technology impacted financial institutions and the opportunities that are available,” she said.

Katherine enjoys challenges and she found what she was looking for at Redi2. In addition to learning the technical side, Katherine also learned the sales side, another area that was out of her comfort zone. One of her most interesting projects was helping reengineer Revenue Manager’s sales process and platform, including updating and slimming the presentation while offering additional value to prospective clients.

Katherine’s work at Redi2 is atypical from a technology perspective, as well. Rather than a behind-the-scenes role, Katherine’s work is client facing at both the sales level and onboarding/delivery for new clients. Revenue Manager is Redi2’s flagship product targeted to the world’s largest asset managers, so both the sales process and onboarding are big responsibilities that set the tone for the entire client relationship.

“Katherine genuinely cares about our clients and will do everything she can to make the onboarding process a wonderful experience. I know if a client is onboarded with Katherine leading the effort, then I am going to see a happy client 100% of the time,” said Kevin, who has an ongoing relationship with Revenue Manager clients after they have been onboarded by Katherine and her team.

Navigating COVID-19

Katherine’s short career has been a challenge at several levels. While she was learning new technology and sales skills, she also had to navigate COVID-19. In her first job out of college, Katherine was at Redi2 for just nine months before the world changed for everyone.

The disruption made it harder to form the connections she naturally enjoys so it pushed her to again step out of her comfort zone, but she successfully handled the new dynamics created by COVID-19 in addition to her new roles and responsibilities. Currently, her position is hybrid—both remote and in office—so she has flexibility but can also make the personal connections she values.

Personal philosophy

Whether it’s work challenges or world challenges, Katherine enjoys unfamiliar situations that require new solutions. “No matter what the problem or the situation is, figure it out, and then go do it,” is the philosophy she lives by. It doesn’t have to be alone, there is a whole toolbox of resources to help, she said.

Mentors play an important role

In fact, Katherine considers mentors very important. She credits mentors in college, during her internship, at Redi2, and within the greater technology community with helping her find direction, focus and success. “I think it’s really important to build and keep those relationships,” she said.

One of the best parts of working in technology is the tightknit community of women. “It’s no secret that technology is mostly male oriented, but one of the strengths is the strong relationships you make with other women in the field. It’s a great community both inside Redi2 and within the larger technology community,” Katherine said. “More women need to explore technology in college. Technology touches everything. Don’t be afraid to take some classes and figure it out,” she added.

Giving back as a mentor is also one of her priorities. “Not only is Katherine driven to make our customers happy, but she is also motivated to help coworkers succeed as well. She sets aside time every week to help her colleagues learn and develop,” Kevin said.

Work-life balance

At this stage in her career, Katherine doesn’t spend much time worrying about work-life balance. “I’m fortunate. I love what I do, so I’m just having fun doing it.”

She does have outside interests, however, “I really enjoy traveling and photography,” she said. Due to the flexibility provided by remote work options, she spent a month in South Carolina in February and plans to spend time in Dallas with friends soon.