Meet Our Team

Founder & CEO

David Grossman helps leaders drive productivity and get the results they want through authentic and courageous leadership and communication, and is a sought-after speaker and advisor to Fortune 500 leaders.

Leveraging his background in organizational development and psychology, David is known for his thoughtful, personal, and pragmatic approach, and coaches leaders at all levels to utilize communications as a strategic business tool. By acting as an advocate for employees and as a thoughtpartner™ to senior management, David and his team help organizations unleash the power of communication to engage employees and drive performance.

David is the Founder and CEO of The Grossman Group, whose client roster represents a wide range of industries and includes some of the world’s leading companies such as Abbott Laboratories, Amazon, DHL, Grubhub, Hillrom (now part of Baxter), Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, Lockheed Martin, McDonald’s, Microsoft, and Stanley Black & Decker, among others.

David is an award-winning five-time author. His popular book Heart First: Lasting Leader Lessons from a Year that Changed Everything is in its second edition, Heart First: What Exceptional Leaders Do in Extraordinary Times. Heart First continues to be applauded by leaders at all levels for the practical approaches and rich stories of heart first leadership, told by senior leaders around the globe. In addition, David has published a version of Heart First for emerging leaders, which is praised by students, young professionals, and educators for inspiring the next generation to lead and make an impact. His leadercommunicator™ blog has been ranked the number one blog on communication by Feedspot eight years in a row.

David is often quoted in media, providing expert commentary and analysis on how leaders and companies can build trust and keep employees engaged through crisis and change, employee well-being and burnout, and more. He’s been featured on “NBC Nightly News,” in CBS MoneyWatch, the Chicago Tribune, Directors & Boards, Forbes, Great Place to Work, the LA Times, Newsweek, and the World Economic Forum.

David is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society and the Forbes Communication Council, is a Trustee for the Institute for Public Relations, and a member of the Board of Advisors for The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. He is a designated Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) through the National Speakers Association, an MBTI® Certified Practitioner, a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, and taught graduate-level internal communications and authentic leadership at Columbia University.

Before founding The Grossman Group in 2000, David was director of communications for McDonald’s. David graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an honors degree in Journalism, and holds a master’s in Corporate Public Relations from Northwestern University.

David and his husband Steve have two girls, Avi and Noa. On the weekends they sometimes enjoy getting out of the city and heading to Wisconsin to swim and boat, or taking the girls to an Anime convention or to buy manga. David is also a big fan of musical theater. His favorite Broadway shows include The Color Purple, Next to Normal, Little Shop of Horrors, and Wicked.

President

Kate is President of The Grossman Group and works closely with the team to deliver innovative and strategic communication solutions for clients that address their everyday and defining business challenges. She has worked with leaders across a variety of functions and industries to connect employees to strategy, improve the employee experience, and drive change.

Over the years, Kate has worked with companies such as Astellas, Johnson & Johnson, Lockheed Martin, Molex, NiSource, SC Johnson, Tenneco, The Hartford, and Wyndham, among others.

Having served on the corporate and agency side, Kate applies her breadth of experience in corporate communications – which includes employee communications, leadership communications, public relations, issues communications, and research – to offer clients trusted, proven counsel and shape and implement strategic solutions that accelerate results.

Kate counsels leaders in Communications, HR, Learning and Development, Supply Chain, Commercial Operations, DE&I, Ethics and Compliance, and more to help them tackle pressing challenges affecting their teams and organization.

Kate’s work has been recognized by clients and the communication industry. Her contributions helped The Grossman Group win the prestigious PRWeek Boutique Agency of the Year and Product of the Year by SABRE for the firm’s messagemap™ methodology. She has helped companies like McDonald’s, Motel 6, Tenneco, Lockheed Martin, Gerber, and Pillsbury win prominent awards for their communications programs.

Kate holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication/Journalism with honors from Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, CA., and a Master’s in Science degree in Communications from Northwestern University’s School of Communication/Management Program. She is a member of Page Up for senior communications leaders, a group within the Arthur W. Page Society.

When not helping clients tackle their everyday and defining moments, Kate enjoys spending the everyday and defining moments with her husband and two children and volunteering in their school.

Executive Vice President & ThoughtPartner Consultant

Linda is an award-winning leadership, communication, and employee engagement expert. She’s served in executive communications roles on both the corporate and agency sides for more than three decades. During her career, Linda has worked with a wide range of clients including American Airlines, Abbott, DHL Supply Chain, Dow Chemical Company, Hyatt Hotels, Kaiser Permanente, Sage Therapeutics, and more. 

At The Grossman Group, Linda works with and advises leaders across functions and industries to help them improve their communication capability to drive meaningful change and achieve business results. She develops innovative strategies and helps leaders hone clear, concise messages to communicate corporate initiatives in a way that internal stakeholders can relate to and act upon. Linda also specializes in guiding internal communications during high- and low-profile mergers and acquisitions in a way that keeps employees engaged and focused. 

Linda’s work has been recognized by clients and the communication industry. She was awarded Employee Communications Campaign of the Year from PR Week and received a Bronze Anvil from PRSA.

Before joining The Grossman Group, Linda spent 13 years leading corporate and employee communications practices at the global public relations firm Golin. Prior to that, she served seven years as chief communications officer for Kemper Insurance Companies. Linda was also an executive in the Chicago office of Hill and Knowlton, an international public relations firm. She started her career in government and was a key advisor and chief of staff to the president of the Illinois Senate.

Linda is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and the Arthur W. Page Society. She is a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow and a past president of Kenilworth Union Church and of Illinois Women in Government. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Political Science, with an English Literature minor, from Illinois State University.

Linda and her husband, Jim, enjoy sailing their boat on Lake Michigan, spending time with their son, Spencer, and traveling the world.

Senior Vice President, Business Development & Marketing

Kayla brings nearly 15 years of strategic communications experience to clients, with expertise in internal and digital communications, executive visibility, leadership development, executive team building, and research.  

She has partnered with clients in a wide range of industries, including Astellas, DuPont Pioneer, Erickson Living, Health Quest, Hillrom (now part of Baxter), International Aerospace Environmental Group (IAEG), SC Johnson, and Tyco, among others.  

She works with clients to develop and execute plans to elevate leaders’ visibility with both internal and external audiences, facilitate 180° leadership assessments, lead the strategic development of experience components for senior leadership retreats, develop communication toolkits and digital guidebooks, and more.  

In addition to supporting clients at The Grossman Group, Kayla leads marketing for the firm. This work includes coordination of the agency's thought leadership program, featuring content from the team, speaking engagements, and published books by David Grossman, as well as industry partnership activities. The goal of this work is to provide leaders and communicators with timely and practical resources that can help them be more effective and make an impact in the workplace.  

Kayla’s work has been recognized with industry awards, including the American Business Award’s Gold Stevie, PR Week Awards, PRovoke’s Silver Sabre, IABC’s Gold Quill, Ragan's Video, Visual & Virtual Awards, and PRSA’s Skyline Awards. Her executive visibility work has resulted in media placements in the LA Times, CBS MoneyWatch, Chicago Tribune, WSJ.com, Today.com, and NBC Nightly News, among others.  

She holds a B.A. in Public Relations and Marketing Communications from Columbia College Chicago (CCC). She also guest lectures at CCC and has served as Adjunct Faculty at the same institution, teaching Social Media Content.  

Kayla and her husband enjoy road trips with their min pin, Percy, and making pizza in their Ooni pizza oven. She’s also a big fan of Lady Gaga, having seen her live a dozen times.

Vice President & Head of Client Service

Kyle brings more than 15 years of experience to The Grossman Group, working across a variety of industries and business models. In all his roles, he’s been a change agent, strategic counselor and dynamic storyteller. Kyle’s current and former client list includes Bojangles, CMC, DHL Supply Chain, GEICO, Grubhub, Lundbeck, Newmont, The Smithsonian Institute, Suntory Global Spirits, TPG and Stanley Black & Decker, among other leading organizations.

Throughout his career, Kyle has built and implemented successful internal communications programs both in-house and on the agency side, navigating large, complex organizations and tailoring plans to meet the needs of a variety of internal audiences.

He specializes in rolling out communication strategies and messaging platforms to support digital and business transformations, as well as supporting senior executives and developing their annual and initiative-based plans and messaging. He has led the implementation of EVP rollouts, restructuring, and key business initiatives to employees and frontline workers, navigating and leading internal communications for business and brand crises, and more.

As Head of Client Service, Kyle leads the senior team of thoughtpartners, bringing perspectives and solutions to our clients, thought leadership, and business development. An important part of his role is to ensure that the Client Service Team is set up for success in serving clients as new partnerships begin and long-standing engagements grow.

Prior to joining The Grossman Group, Kyle served as Director of US Communications at McDonald’s Corporation. While there, he was responsible for all communications that went out to the entire organization as well as the company’s big moments. He also drove orchestration and alignment on critical business issues and topics and ran the team responsible for the company’s channel strategy and execution. His work reached the company’s franchisees, employees, and restaurant-facing teams. 

Before his time at McDonald’s, Kyle held similar roles at Aon and Caterpillar. 

Originally from Springfield, Illinois, he graduated from Western Illinois University. When Kyle’s not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids, golfing, reading books, and watching sports – especially the Chicago Bulls.

Vice President

Jennifer brings 12 years of strategic communications experience, a problem-solving mindset and zealous quality control to her work at The Grossman Group, where she partners with clients to help them achieve their business and communications goals. 

She has collaborated with Fortune 500 clients across the pharmaceutical, hospitality, technology, energy, automotive, manufacturing, and CPG industries to deliver strategic communications solutions and counsel that help companies perform from the inside-out. Jennifer’s current and former client list includes AstraZeneca, Hilton, KeHE Distributors, Microsoft, SC Johnson, Shell, Stanley Black & Decker, Starbucks, and Tecomet, among others.

Jennifer’s an expert at helping organizations navigate complex enterprise-wide change. In addition, she has a strong background in internal communications research, has led numerous comprehensive internal communications audits, and, through those efforts, sets global communications functions up for operational excellence.

Prior to joining The Grossman Group, Jennifer honed her communication and project management skills at Edelman, a leading public relations firm. While based in the Shanghai office, she was a go-to resource for managing cross-functional teams throughout the APAC region. This experience provided Jennifer with invaluable perspective on the nuances of planning and executing global campaigns in local markets, which she brings forward to her client engagements. She is also a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Originally from New Jersey, Jennifer graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a dual degree in English Writing (Journalism) and Chinese. She lived in China for five years prior to relocating to Chicago and is proficient in Mandarin. 

Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys spending her time volunteering with PAWS Chicago to help homeless pets and searching for the perfect soup dumpling.

Creative Director

Chad realizes in today’s fast-paced, information-overloaded business environment that smart communicators understand telling their story goes beyond simply articulating clear and compelling messages. Visual communications that complement and support written communications are often the difference between messages that get lost and messages that are heard and acted upon. He’s worked with a diverse portfolio of clients including, IAEG, Illinois Tool Works, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, Lockheed Martin, McDonald’s, and Navistar, among others.

With a propensity for clean, strategic, and contemporary design, Chad specializes in print and digital publications and brand design for Fortune 500 and other leading organizations. Some of this work includes internal brand and visual assets such as annual reports, CSR reports, internal brands, corporate presentations, corporate history/storytelling books, and strategy artifacts.

Chad’s work is recognized throughout the industry, with just a few key highlights including the design of international nutrition brochures for McDonald’s, visual artifacts that have made their way to the White House, as well as the 100 Year Anniversary logo for Illinois Tool Works that debuted on the New York Stock Exchange.

Chad earned a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication from The Illinois Institute of Art where he graduated with honors. He and his wife, Kristen, live in Indiana where they enjoy the company of their bulldog, Woodrow.

Katie Murphy brings deep experience in communications and corporate affairs to The Grossman Group, specializing in significant change efforts, activating strategy, and helping leaders become better communicators.

Katie is known for her understanding of audiences’ needs. She works with her clients to craft targeted communications driven by their values to find the balance of organizational goals with what their employees need – driving win-win results. Her work in global accessibility and ADA compliance reflects her commitment to creating communications that meet the needs of every employee. She helps organizations build AI adoption strategies that help bring the “how” and “why” of AI more approachably into the workplace. Katie even participated in and helped with the pilot of the enterprise ChatGPT program with OpenAI.

Highlights from Katie’s experience includes:

- Advising on executive visibility, strategic initiatives, and crisis communication, helping organizations navigate change with precision and empathy.

- Creating and producing tentpole moments for organizations, ensuring accessibility and impact for audiences, including webcasts for company-wide town halls, leadership strategy meetings, confidential HR projects, and other major initiatives, reaching global audiences ranging from 200 to 80,000 employees.

- Leading rebrands of company-wide and business unit communications, including new and repurposed channels.

- Championing the development and launch of AI tools by crafting messaging frameworks to streamline adoption through practical education – demystifying responsible AI and aligning it with organizational goals.

- Developing and implementing global communications strategies for large-scale initiatives, ensuring accessibility and clear messaging for diverse audiences across multiple regions and cultures.

- Designing and implementing employee engagement strategies that prioritize data-driven insights and audience-centric approaches to improve communication effectiveness.

- Building measurement and review into systems to ensure relevant and flexible programs that match an audience’s needs.

Before joining The Grossman Group, Katie served as a Communications and Corporate Affairs Manager for PwC. While there, she built communications strategies for various initiatives, including the 2024 presidential election, owned and developed channel strategies, and worked directly with many senior leaders, understanding what becomes most important for large changes and key employee moments.

Before her time at PwC, Katie also spent time at Land O’Lakes and the Minnesota Children’s Museum.

Katie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communications and has a strong command of various communication technologies, including SPSS, Eloqua, Bitly, AEM, and emerging AI tools.

Outside of her professional work, Katie is often traveling, doing house projects, or reading. She’s also a passionate volunteer, mentoring young women in business and supporting her local community garden. She’s often spending time with her partner and their two cats!

Marketing Manager

Lana has over 10 years of marketing and management experience and brings her love of technology, analytics, and detail to the execution of a myriad of thought leadership campaigns for The Grossman Group. She also plays an integral part in the success of communication trainings and leadership team meetings for clients. Lana’s work has touched clients across industries, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Hillrom (now a part of Baxter), MedStar, Republic National Distribution Company, and SC Johnson, among others. 

Lana is an excellent analytical thinker, creative eye, and tech savant. She works with the marketing team to bring the company’s content campaigns to life in support of the organization’s goal to help leaders lead with heart and cultivate a more engaging workplace.  

Prior to joining The Grossman Group, Lana held management roles at Lincoln Square Animal Hospital and Vistage International. Additionally, she has worked as a marketing consultant in finance, business education, and business consulting industries. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Michigan-Flint and enjoys exploring Chicago’s arts, culture, and music scene with her husband, Paul, as well as evenings in with their two cats, Zizi and Leeloo. 

Operations Manager

K. oversees the day-to-day functions necessary to keep the team of thoughtpartners™ performing at their peak and delivers creative solutions at the speed of business. K.’s work supports the breadth of our current and former clients, such as Alkermes, Amsted, InnerWorkings, SC Johnson, and USP, among others.

Having served in administration in advertising, architecture, fine arts, and the pharmaceutical industries, and trained in design and production, K.’s role plays to strengths of pragmatism, attention to detail, and a holistic approach to the ecosystem of a dynamic client-centric firm; from HR to liaising with accounting, IT, procurement, travel arranging, and coordinating administration.

K. holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatrical costume design from Southern Oregon University, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from New Jersey City University. K. is a member of the International Facilities Management Association, American Alliance of Museums, and AmeriCorps Alums.

Outside of the office, K. leverages a soft-spoken manner by leading guided meditations, maintaining a healthy fine-arts practice, and interrupting their jogging routine to photograph the streets and flowers of Chicago.