Catherine Kaputa

From Madison Avenue to Wall Street to the halls of academe, Catherine Kaputa perfected her ability to market products, places, and companies. She learned brand strategy from Al Ries and Jack Trout at Trout & Ries Advertising, and then led the award-winning "I ♡ NY" campaign at Wells, Rich, Greene. For over ten years she was SVP, Director of Advertising and Community Affairs at Citi Smith Barney, and she taught branding and advertising at New York University's Stern School of Business.

Yet Catherine discovered that the most important application for branding is not for products - it's for individuals to define and own their career identity and create their own performance success.

That's why Catherine launched SelfBrand LLC, a New York City-based personal branding company and wrote the award-winning book, You Are a BRAND! How Smart People Brand Themselves for Business Success, winner of the Ben Franklin award for Best Career Book 2007 and a bronze IPPY award. (The hardcover edition was published as U R a Brand!) Catherine's new book on women's leadership is The Female Brand, Using the Female Mindset to Succeed in Business.

After all, corporate icons and star entertainers all understand what it takes to be in control and in demand - a unique brand. In her talks and workshops, Catherine shows you how to use principles from the commercial world of brands and apply them to the best asset - you.

Catherine has spoken at a wide range of organizations as part of talent development, sales training, motivational and client meetings and diversity and women's initiatives. She has been featured on CNN, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Fortune, The London Observer, Pink Magazine and was a "Cool Friend" on TomPeters.com.

Catherine has a BA from Northwestern University, an MA from the University of Washington and was a Ph.D. Candidate at Harvard University.