Kate Swords is Head of U.S. Human Resources for Cerberus Capital Management, a global leader in alternative investing with 1,000 employees and $60 billion in assets under management. A 16-year veteran of the company, Kate has worked in operations, accounting, regulatory reporting, and investor relations at the firm. She joined HR to make a greater impact on her colleagues’ well-being in the workplace and focuses on working mindfully and sustainably in the fast-paced financial industry. She is an expert on how companies can foster an environment for employees that connects to their purpose and meaning at work. Kate is a certified meditation coach and founded the Meditation Club at Cerberus having led hundreds of daily meditation sessions for employees.

As a certified meditation coach, Kate strives to infuse positive and healthy mindfulness at Cerberus through short, themed sessions to help employees center themselves and increase productivity. She believes that meditation can help temporarily interrupt the hamster wheel at work, introducing space and intuition to high pressure environments. With better contemplative tools for employees to mentally ground themselves and restore their emotional balance, Kate helps colleagues foster a genuine sense of self trust. 

Kate is the author 4 Ways to Make Meditation Your New Workplace Superpower and has lectured widely how to harness micro moments to bring about macro change.

She attributes her keen observation skills and psychological insight in part to growing up “different” in a small Midwestern town, and to a profound curiosity about what makes people of all backgrounds tick, succeed and flourish. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia and in her spare time enjoys running, yoga and handstand practice! She lives in Long Island City with her incredible husband Timothy and spectacular 9-year-old son, Noah.