McKinsey West Coast

About Kara

Kara is a senior member of McKinsey’s Business Technology Practice where she co-leads McKinsey’s global Cloud Practice and serves as a core leader in McKinsey’s Software and Services Practice.

Kara primarily focuses on supporting software product and service providers, particularly companies in the cloud computing, big data, mobility, collaboration, and cybersecurity subsectors. Her specific contributions include assisting in creating a growth strategy for a new, public-sector-focused software-as-a-service offering, developing the cloud strategy and business case for a leading aerospace and defense contractor, and executing a complete pricing transformation for an enterprise software provider, across strategic and transactional pricing.

She also brings substantial experience in corporate and business-unit strategy. Recently she led a team in defining the long-term strategy for a leading content-management-software provider, including short-term requirements to stabilize the business. She has applied her technology and strategy expertise in the social sector as well, having led two organization and talent management efforts in the primary-secondary school area.

Kara is an active contributor to McKinsey’s external and internal research, including 8 Business Technology Trends to Watch (2007) is one of the McKinsey Quarterly’s top-rated publications of all time. She has authored several articles on cloud computing and is a frequent speaker at industry forums.

Published work

“Invest in technology for innovation,” co-presenter, Cloud Connect, April 2013

“Protecting information in the cloud,” McKinsey & Company, January 2013

“Where the cloud is likely to grow,” McKinsey & Company, March 2012

Past experience

Education