The Illinois Search and Staffing Association is proud to host this virtual event in our series created for Staffing Owners and Executives

Presented by Kathy Gilbert, Senior Director, Minority Dealer and Women Retail at CDK Global

The Leadership Seat:

Challenges, Choices & Change Across Industries

June 26, 2025

12PM-1PM CST

Cost to Attend: ISSA Members FREE, Nonmembers $39

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Leadership today requires more than just a title—it demands clarity, agility, and the ability to influence meaningful change across all levels of an organization. In this interactive session, we’ll explore what it truly means to lead in today’s dynamic business landscape.

Join us for a deep dive into the challenges leaders face, the choices they must make, and the change they have the power to shape. Through a modern framework centered on people, process, technology, and data, we’ll uncover how leadership is evolving—and what it takes to stay ahead.

Attendance at this event earns 1.0 hours CE Credit toward ASA certification

MEET THE SPEAKER

Kathy Gilbert is an accomplished professional with a distinguished 30-year career in the automotive industry, with a remarkable journey encompassing leadership roles in sales and business development, customer success, product marketing and sales operations. As a dedicated senior leader and advocate for diversity, she currently holds the position of Senior Director of Minority Dealer and Women Retail Business. In this role, Kathy oversees a national portfolio of 5,000+ customers, contributing to an impressive revenue of over $260 million.

Kathy takes on the crucial responsibility of managing relationships between CDK and its customers, with a primary goal of fostering the success of minority and women dealers in achieving their business objectives. Her efforts extend beyond customer relations, as she has forged robust connections with associations, manufacturers, and industry partners.

Prior to her current role, Kathy served as the Director of Customer Success, where she built and led a team of Customer Success advocates. Aligned with each customer, this team was dedicated to ensuring a superb customer experience across the board.

Notably, Kathy is a Founding Board member of the Women in Automotive organization, where her focus lies in accelerating the involvement of women in the automotive sector. She is a distinguished industry speaker, mentor, and holds the title of Automotive News Leading “Notable Champion of Diversity”, “Women in Retail Honoree” and NAMAD’s “Women of Year”. Kathy's commitment to diversity and inclusion is longstanding, with over two decades of active involvement in CDK's Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

Thank you to our Platinum Sponsor, Avionté!