Wendy Guillies
Executive and Board Member
Kansas City Area
wguillies@gmail.com | 816.665.2704
Professional Overview
Seasoned C-Suite/Senior Executive with deep experience in strategy development and execution, talent management and culture, marketing/communications, community relations, and board engagement. Seeking contract, temporary and board service opportunities where I can apply my skills and experience to help organizations achieve clarity, focus and results.
Competencies and Knowledge Areas
C-Suite Leadership, Problem Solving, Decision Making and Achieving Results
Strategic Planning and Execution
Governance: Corporate and Non-Profit, Committee Participation and Leadership
Communications, Marketing and Brand Management
Talent, Compensation, Organizational Culture
Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Entrepreneurial Finance, Startups
K-12 Education, Postsecondary Pathways, College Access
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
CEO Leadership Accomplishments
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO
Interim CEO, March 2023-February 2024
Served as interim leader to stabilize organization and make improvements to operations and culture. Key responsibilities and achievements included team leadership, board relations, improved financial transparency for exhibitions, developing first stage of employee compensation improvements, creating an outsourced strategy for the museum café, positioning the museum for its 30th anniversary, and serving on the board search committee to select and onboard the permanent director.
_________________________
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO
Interim CEO, March 2023-February 2024
Served as interim leader to stabilize organization and make improvements to operations and culture. Key responsibilities and achievements included team leadership, board relations, improved financial transparency for exhibitions, developing first stage of employee compensation improvements, creating an outsourced strategy for the museum café, positioning the museum for its 30th anniversary, and serving on the board search committee to select and onboard the permanent director.
_________________________
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City, MO, 2000-2022
President & CEO: June 2015-Sept. 2022 (Acting CEO June 2014-June 2015)
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a private $3B foundation focused on a prepared, inclusive workforce through education, real world learning, entrepreneurship and community engagement. Oversaw a 115-person organization through a period of significant growth in scope and complexity of operations and impact. Led a seasoned, talented team of 10 senior leaders with responsibility for all aspects of program and administrative operations.
Development and implementation of strategic plan, including establishing Foundation-wide priorities and success measures, and substantial improvements to program direction, administrative operations, technology and community/partner relations.
Highlights:
Incubation and launch of four independent 501c3 startup organizations representing 100s of millions of dollars of investment, including KC Scholars, one of the most successful workforce development and college completion programs in the country serving tens of thousands of low-income, first generation and students of color.
New work streams created to build ‘real world learning’ experiences at scale in high schools, harness the power of entrepreneurship in community economic development and national policy, and open more and different pathways to capital for entrepreneurs, especially those from underserved communities.
Established new evaluation and learning department, repositioned “HR” to “Talent and Culture” and embedded diversity, equity and inclusion throughout organization.
Deepened local and national relationships and partnerships and built on Foundation’s reputation and thought leadership. Represented the Foundation in local civic organizations, at local and national conferences and speaking events, and in external written communications.
Strengthened management/board engagement, expanding transparency, communications, co-learning and experiential opportunities. Onboarded eight new trustees.
Executive member of the Board of Trustees, including serving on Compensation, Investment, Audit & Financial Controls and Governance committees.
Vice President, Communications: 2006-2014
Led the substantial expansion of the Kauffman Foundation’s brand as a trusted source for programming, research, and innovative solutions. Played an instrumental role in the launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week, now an independent 501c3 based in Washington DC under the brand of Global Entrepreneurship Network that engages tens of millions of participants from more than 170 countries. Developed creative avenues for messaging and marketing, including Kauffman Sketchbooks, Thoughtbooks, annual State of Entrepreneurship Address, The Entrepreneurs Movement/Pledge, Founders Day (Mr. K) community lunches, and numerous campaigns to increase participation in grantee-led programs.
“Wendy is a brilliant strategist, has high emotional intelligence and is intensely curious—a trifecta in leadership attributes for the C-suite and boardroom alike.”
– Former Board Chair
Board and Committee Experience
Folience, Inc., Cedar Rapids, IA, Board Member and Chair, Compensation Committee (2017-Present)
Employee-owned (ESOP) holding company with a portfolio of businesses ranging from manufacturing to media, 500 employees and in excess of $100M in revenue. I’ve been an active board member as Folience has undergone a complete transformation, acquiring businesses to grow overall company success and shareowner value. Folience was named the 2022 Employee Owned Company of the Year by the National ESOP Association. As Chair of the Compensation Committee for the past six years, I lead efforts on executive compensation, contracts and performance reviews.
_________________________
Center for American Entrepreneurship, Washington, DC, Board Member (2023-Present)
CAE is a 501(c)(3) research, policy, and advocacy organization that works with policymakers in Washington and across the country to achieve a policy environment that promotes new business formation, survival, and growth. I serve on the Board of Directors, which is comprised of active entrepreneurs, investors and experts in the entrepreneurial ecosystem who share a passion for helping startup founders.
“A CEO needs board members who focus on strategy, stay out of the weeds, and have the skill to balance challenging and supporting the executive team. Wendy consistently and masterfully accomplishes this. Any CEO would achieve greater success with her on their board.”
– Company CEO
_________________________
Avila University, Kansas City, MO, Board Member (Term Begins March 2024)
Avila University is a private Roman Catholic university in Kansas City, Missouri, that offers bachelor's degrees and master's degrees on a 50-acre campus in south Kansas City.
_________________________
Enterprise Bank & Trust, St. Louis, MO, Board Member (2020-2022); Member of Advisory Board and President’s Cabinet, Kansas City Region (2017-Present)
Served on the board of publicly held $10B bank based in St. Louis with operations in Kansas City, New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California. Participated on the Operations and Technology Committee. In 2022, the bank board was dissolved to allow for a single governance entity (holding company board). I am still active as a member of the Advisory Board of Enterprise’s KC region, including serving on the President’s Cabinet where I provide input on marketing and sales strategy, community relations, talent development and any challenges or opportunities the President wants to discuss.
_________________________
Saint Luke’s South Hospital, Overland Park, KS, Board Member (2018-Present)
Saint Luke’s South is a highly rated 171-bed hospital that is part of the Saint Luke’s Health System, the third largest private employer in the Kansas City area with more than 12,000 employees. I’ve served on the board since 2018, during which time the hospital underwent a major expansion with the 100,000 square foot Saint Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute and managed through the COVID-19 crisis.
Other Notable Board and Committee Experience
Economic Club of Kansas City, Board Member, 2021-2023
Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Board Member, 2015-2021
The Generosity Commission, Washington, DC, Commission Member (2021-2022)
Missouri State Task Force on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Steering Committee Member (2021-2022)
Select Thought Leadership Pieces
The Hill, May 2022, A Practical Business Plan for the Fair Economy America Needs
Inc., Dec. 2021, New Businesses are the Key to Build Back Better
Kansas City Star, Nov. 2019, Supporting American entrepreneurship is a bipartisan goal
Twin Cities Pioneer Press, June 2018, Remarkable Potential for New Business Growth and Barriers to Clear
Entrepreneur Magazine, Nov. 2017, What Global Entrepreneurship Week Teaches us About the World
Forbes, Feb. 2017, The Megatrends of Entrepreneurship are Key to Job Growth
TedxTalk Fargo, ND, July 2017, The Middle is the New Edge