2024 STL Morning Presentation Unlocking Competitive Advantage: The Case for Representation, Equity and Inclusion in Driving Business Growth

With a focus on delivering solutions that not only provide what has been requested but what the situation requires, Kim B. Holmes has delivered enterprise solutions for multiple companies.

Kim is a skilled people leader having led global teams responsible for defining and delivering complex technology and human resource solutions.

Kim’s proven program management leadership includes working with organizations to define programs that address structural opportunities. An example of Kim’s leadership is her work with companies from the financial, nonprofit, legal, technology, entertainment, and civic sectors to launch and strengthen programs to increase representation of historically underrepresented communities as well as increasing employee engagement and the sense of belonging.

Kim has almost four decades of leadership experience in the financial services tech space, focused on insurance and consumer banking. Her experience opened the door for her to serve on the deal teams for multiple M&A engagements, domestically and internationally. While working as a technology leader, Kim implemented enterprise programming to place underemployed women of color in growth-focused tech roles. As a seasoned intrapreneur, Kim lends her support to startup founders at 1871, Chicago’s premier innovation hub, where she serves as a member of 1871 Affinity Counsel. Kim also serves as a mentor with Chicago Innovation.

Building relationships is fundamental to Kim’s approach to driving successful outcomes. She has built strategic relationships with global diversity organizations to define programs that provide employment and career development opportunities. Kim has spoken at the Grace Hopper Celebration, and the annual conferences of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and Society of Women Engineers.

Community is core to Kim, and she currently serves on the board of the Northern Illinois Food Bank, where she leads the organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion committee. She also serves on the board of Disability Lead, an organization focused on developing and leveraging the leadership skills of individuals with disabilities. Kim chairs the all-female associate board of the Chicago Union, Chicago’s professional ultimate frisbee team.

Kim earned a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from Shimer College and a Master of Nonprofit Administration from North Park University.