Meet Katie, President & CEO for Haydon. Katie was born in beautiful Winnemucca, Nevada but grew up in Phoenix. She attended Xavier College Prep for high school, ASU for a BS in Accountancy, and Thunderbird for her MBA in Global Management. Upon graduation from ASU, Katie accepted an accounting position at a large publicly held corporation, then years later worked as Controller of a small, privately held Phoenix-based land development company. The diversity of experience between these two organizations and depth of knowledge gained throughout her accounting career is something she calls upon every day. However, it was her time at Thunderbird, School of Global Management that she describes as “memorable” and “life-changing”. It was Thunderbird that really opened her eyes to the importance of culture, the global mindset that was instilled in her through her studies and is what laid the foundation for her approach to leadership. Upon graduation, Katie packed one suitcase and moved to Madrid, Spain to start a new life as a newly minted MBA. As she attempted to perfect the Spanish language (an ongoing goal) and traveled to over 27 countries, Katie learned an appreciation for culture, acceptance, and gained a worldly education.
The economy of 2009 meant Spain was not issuing work visas, so it was time to start a new adventure. Katie returned home to the family business and in 2010 joined the accounting department at Haydon. Through the years, Katie has held many positions in the organization, continually learning the business. But it was her intentional focus, development, and continuous improvement of the culture and people at Haydon, that made her Executive Vice President. As EVP her main responsibility is strategy: to position the company for sustainability and growth for the next generation. Her passion for the business and the people that work at Haydon is unwavering and obvious to anyone that knows her.
Katie is extremely active in the community and is a member of Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Westmarc, Leadership West, Arizona Chapter of the Associated General Contractors, Arizona Builders Alliance, The Consul Corps of Arizona, Canada Arizona Builders Council, and Junior League of Phoenix. Her philanthropic work spans across these organizations but her heart is with the Esperanza School for Homeless Children, which is her preferred organization for charitable efforts. Katie was recognized by the Construction Financial Management Association as 2020 Emerging Leader and was featured as one of the 20 Young Leaders Shaping Commercial Real Estate in 2020, by AZ Big Media.
When Katie is not engaging with the people at Haydon or in the community, you can find her with her family or traveling, which is still one of her greatest pleasures and passion.