Episode description

On this episode, Kate Hampford Donahue, CEO of Hampford Research, discusses the transformative journey of taking over her father's specialty chemical company.

Without a background in the chemical industry, Kate embraced a new kind of leadership, using skills gained throughout her early career. She recounts the pivotal support of Vistage, a CEO peer-to-peer group, that provided her with invaluable insights and support.

Kate shares her initial challenges from discovering the company was in a poorer shape than anyone realized to reshaping its culture and strategy in the face of that adversity. She managed to turn challenge into opportunity…and fell in love with manufacturing at the same time!

Kate's favorite book: Blue Ocean Strategy, Renée Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim

Kate Hampford Donahue, Hampford Research

Website: https://www.hampfordresearch.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hampford-research-inc

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HampfordRsrch

Kate's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-donahue-7327007

Ari Santiago, CEO, CompassMSP

Company Website: https://compassmsp.com/

Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/compass-msp/

Podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadeinAmericaPodcast

Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/made-in-america-podcast-with-ari

Podcast YouTube:  https://youtube.com/c/MadeinAmericaPodcastwithAri

Ari's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asantiago104/

https://madeinamerica.compassmsp.com/ 

https://blog.compassmsp.com/ 

https://compassmsp.com/about  

Kate and Ari discuss Leadership, Transition, Vistage, and Workplace Culture