Outstanding Leader Spotlight: Kathy Bowman

RippleMatch is proud to recognize Kathy Bowman, the Talent Acquisition Manager of Program Management at Catalina, as an Outstanding Leader in the Campus Recruiting Community! 

Kathy started her career in talent acquisition while working in the HR department at a hospital located in New Jersey, where she was asked to support non-clinical hiring. After discovering that she enjoyed interacting with different internal teams and building relationships with candidates, she was promoted to manage all hiring for the hospital — and the rest is history. 

“The HR field always provided a platform of policy and process which I appreciated, and the recruitment piece allowed me to grow into a strategic partner with departments across the organization,” Kathy said. “The most rewarding aspect for me was bringing in early talent within the Registration or Nutritional Care Services groups and following hires as the exposure to the hospital environment sparked their career paths.”

At Catalina, Kathy helps facilitate orientation for new interns and hires, leads its university recruiting and internship program, and creates recruitment brand initiatives. 

We spoke to Kathy about what drives her, her team’s accomplishments in the past year, and how she would advise a new leader in the early career talent space:

RP: What motivates you today professionally?

KB: Each day brings an opportunity to provide a seamless experience for both our candidates and internal stakeholders. Being able to engage with students during career events, in-classroom presentations, or a 1:1 meetup energizes me. I enjoy ensuring that our brand is represented authentically and that each person we interact with is provided the support that they are seeking.

RP: What has been your proudest professional accomplishment to date? 

KB: My proudest accomplishment to date would be streamlining the processes from interview through onboarding at my current company. I have always recognized the importance of experience within the recruitment process and brand recognition no matter the size of your organization. Being able to give our internal and external stakeholders processes that are efficient and succinct — such as resources to support from interview, hire, and onboarding — under a consistent, branded message makes me proud. My goal is always ensuring that everyone involved in our process has what they need in order to successfully interact during their journey. If that is aligned, your teams, candidates, and company will stand out.

RP: What are your current professional goals? 

KB: My current goal is to grow and build organization wide support for our university and internship programs and highlight the benefits to the company. This will allow me to expand our university footprint, involvement with diverse student communities on campus, and bring rewarding opportunities to early talent.

RP: Why are you proud to be a leader in the campus recruitment space? 

KB: Being able to bring awareness of opportunities and support to students as they build their network connections has been rewarding. Our role is not just to fill a job, but provide resources to help guide.

RP: What advice would you give a new leader? 

KB: Look outside the box! The tried and true are great, but sometimes a new idea reaps great rewards!

*RippleMatch is recognizing standout individuals in talent acquisition through our D&I Champion, Program Innovator, and Outstanding spotlights. Know any standout individuals who should be recognized? Please submit their info through this survey.