Award-Winning Researcher Creating Highly Collaborative Win-Win Business Relationships; Architect of the Vested Business Model; Faculty, Distinguished Fellow and Graduate & Executive Education Faculty University of Tennessee
Kate Vitasek Biography
Kate Vitasek an international authority on how to build – and sustain – highly collaborative business relationships. She received the Thinkers50 Breakthrough Idea Award in 2025 and is lauded by World Trade Magazine as one of the “Fabulous 50+1” most influential people impacting global commerce. She has been featured on CNN International, Bloomberg, NPR, Fox Business News, and Forbes.
Vitasek – a Distinguished Fellow and Graduate & Executive Education Faculty at the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business – is passionate in her quest to help companies transform their business relationships. Her award-winning research on the Vested® business model has been adopted by over 150 organization such such as bp, Intel, EY and the Canadian government for its ability to create true win-win business relationships.
Vitasek is the author of eight books and over 400 articles in publications including Harvard Business Review, Chief Executive Magazine, The Economist, FAST Company, Information Week, CIO Magazine, World Financial Review and Supply Chain Management Review.
She is in both the Sourcing Industry Group and the International Association of Outsourcing Professional’s “Hall of Fame,” and is a World Commerce and Contracting “Fellow.” Prior to making the shift to academia, Vitasek held positions on all sides of the business table: the buy side (Microsoft), the sell-side (Stream International and Modus Media) and the consulting side (Accenture).
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Kate Vitasek Speaking Topics
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The Vested Way: Redefining Winning in Business Relationships
“Nothing personal—it’s just business.”
This outdated attitude is the foundation that most business relationships are built on—a zero-sum game where one party wins at the expense of the other. Organizations say things like “valued employee,” “strategic partnership,” and “healthcare system,” but the reality is they are stuck on a transactional treadmill focusing on this task, this time, this deal, and under these terms. The relationships they create are static and the results are status quo.
Author, educator, and business consultant Kate Vitasek has cracked the code on how to truly create successful win-win relationships. Kate’s evocative and edutaining Vested Way® keynote unpacks Five Rules that turn transactional relationships into transformational relationships. Her keynote takes attendees beyond the theory of “win-win” and is packed with real stories from real organizations getting real results by applying the Five Rules.
You can trust Kate for her expertise. Kate Vitasek is an international authority on how to build better business relationships. Her award-winning research is the subject of seven books and she has been featured as an international authority on how to build better business relationships on CNN International, NPR, Bloomberg, and Fox Business News. Kate regularly shares her insights as a Forbes contributor in her column on the art, science, and practice of highly collaborative relationships.
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Getting to We: Five Steps for Creating an Engaged, Collaborative Culture
The vast majority of business relationships operate with an “us vs. them” mindset: management vs. union, buyer vs. supplier, health care providers vs. payers, boss vs. employee and functional silo vs. functional silo.
Organizations say things like “valued employee,” “strategic partnership,” and “healthcare system,” but the reality is they are often stuck with policies and practices and functional metrics that pit organizations, departments, and even team members against each other. The result is a culture that feels like a virtual tug-of-war with team members pulling against each other rather than collaborating for mutual success.
Kate’s Getting to We® keynote shares five proven steps for creating an engaged, collaborative culture. Her keynote inspires audiences with behind-the-scenes stories of how organizations such as Island Health and their hospitalists transformed their culture from a tense, troubled, and toxic relationship to one team members proudly call trusting, collaborative, and innovative. Kate will leave you with tangible advice, tips, and tools for making the shift from a What’s-in-it-for-Me culture to a What’s-in-it-for-We culture.
You can trust Kate for her expertise. Kate Vitasek is an international authority for her award-winning work on how to build better business relationships. She has been featured on CNN International, NPR, Bloomberg, and Fox Business News. She is the author of seven books. Kate regularly shares her insights as a Forbes contributor in her column on the art, science, and practice of highly collaborative relationships.
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How do I book Kate Vitasek to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Kate Vitasek for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Kate Vitasek, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Kate Vitasek or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Kate Vitasek
Speaking fees for Kate Vitasek, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Kate Vitasek are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Kate Vitasek, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Kate Vitasek speak about?
Kate Vitasek is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Business Coaching, Business Consulting, Business Leadership, Corporate Strategy, Disruptive Thinking, Economy, Innovation, Peak Performance, Strategic Leadership, Thought Leadership, Women in Business -
Where does Kate Vitasek travel from?
Kate Vitasek generally travels from Seattle, WA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Kate Vitasek’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Kate Vitasek for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Kate Vitasek for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Kate Vitasek or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
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Kate Vitasek is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as The Vested Way: Redefining Winning in Business Relationships, Getting to We: Five Steps for Creating an Engaged, Collaborative Culture, The Power of T: Choosing Transparency and Trust to Enable High-Performing Teams and Vested Outsourcing: Five Rules that Transform Outsourcing Relationships. The estimated speaking fee range to book Kate Vitasek for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. Kate Vitasek generally travels from Seattle, WA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Dr. Jackie Freiberg, Saj-Nicole Joni, Nitin Nohria, Jeffrey Pfeffer and Rita McGrath. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Kate Vitasek for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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