Kelly Manthey , CEO of digital transformation company Kin + Carta , shares her journey from first employee to Group CEO in a tech industry dominated by men

WRITTEN BY : SCOTT BIRCH

Manthey joined Kin + Carta ( then Solstice ) in 2006 after a decade at Accenture , along with former Kin + Carta Global CEO J Schwan . She took over as CEO of Solstice in 2018 which evolved into her current position as Group Chief Executive Officer for Kin + Carta , Americas in 2020 .

Manthey was instrumental in building a growth-minded business with a strong , diverse , and progressive culture , accounting for 70 % of Kin + Carta ’ s revenue , and growing the US headcount from 400 people when she took over to 1,100 today – not bad at all when you consider that growth was set against the backdrop of the pandemic .

In an exclusive interview with Sustainability magazine , Manthey shares her personal take on motherhood , the need for more women leaders ( not just in tech ), being a B Corp , and more .

Tell us about your 25-year career journey so far – what have been the highlights ? Too many to count ! By far the best part of my journey is that a career in consulting has expanded my network faster than I would have in any other career . I ’ ve been able to partner with and serve a wide variety of businesses in a range of sectors solving their most strategic problems with emerging technologies . This work has introduced me to some of the most innovative and strategic minds . From each individual I ’ ve met along the way , I ’ ve learned something new . If you have a restless , curious mind like mine , this is gold .

Your time with Kin + Carta began in 2006 as employee number one and now you are global CEO – did you ever imagine that would happen ? I started in the business that became the foundation for Kin + Carta Americas ’ business . When I started I was just hoping we ’ d keep finding interesting work , build

44 October 2022