MEET  our FOUNDER

Katie Widdows, CPA, SHRM-CP is the Founder & CEO of Kelken Group, where she partners with business owners, executives, boards, and organizational leaders to align people, strategy, and execution, helping them solve complex business challenges and build stronger organizations.

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With nearly two decades of executive leadership experience, Katie has established herself as a pivotal force and respected leader in organizational strategy, human capital, governance, and business transformation. Throughout her career, she has helped leaders align people, strategy, and execution, transforming complex organizational challenges into measurable business outcomes. She is passionate about developing exceptional leaders, building high-performing organizations, and creating lasting impact.

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Prior to founding Kelken Group, Katie served as Senior Vice President at Hancock Whitney, where she led enterprise-wide initiatives spanning executive compensation, total rewards, people strategy, finance, audit, governance, organizational effectiveness, and large-scale business transformation. She began her career with KPMG, advising complex, highly regulated organizations on audit, financial reporting, risk, and internal controls.

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Katie's leadership has been recognized through some of the Gulf Coast's most distinguished honors, including Gulf Coast Woman's 100 Successful Women to Know, One Coast Top 10 Under 40, the Mississippi Bankers Association Donald L. Moak Achievement Award, Coast Young Professionals VIP of the Year, the Mississippi Society of CPAs Fred T. Neely Gold Medal, and Junior Auxiliary of Biloxi-Ocean Springs' Member of the Year and Hall of Fame honors.

 

Katie is deeply committed to strengthening the communities she proudly calls home through civic and nonprofit leadership, philanthropy, workforce development, and education. She and her husband, Kyle, live in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, with their two children, Kennedy and Keller, and their Maltipoo, Lillie.