2026 Conference Keynote

Kate Vitasek

Distinguished Fellow and Faculty, Graduate & Executive Education
University of Tennessee, Haslam College of Business

Kate Vitasek is an international authority recognized for her award-winning research and creation of the Vested® business model for highly collaborative, win-win relationships. A Faculty member at the University of Tennessee, she received the 2025 Thinkers50 Breakthrough Idea Award and was named by World Trade Magazine among the “Fabulous 50+1” most influential people impacting global commerce.

Author of nine books—including Vested: How P&G, McDonald’s, and Microsoft Are Redefining Winning in Business Relationships, Getting to We, and Contracting in the New Economy— Vitasek is known for her research-driven yet practical insights that inspire transformation and innovation through strategic partnerships.

Her pioneering work has been featured on CNN International, Bloomberg, NPR, and Fox Business News, and in more than 400 publications, including Harvard Business Review, Chief Executive Magazine, The Economist, Fast Company, InformationWeek, CIO Magazine, and World Financial Review.