Katherine Koontz

Katherine (Kathy) Koontz brings over three decades of experience in enterprise data analytics and artificial intelligence to her work across multiple industries. Most recently, she served as the Global Head of Data and AI for Healthcare and Life Sciences at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where she helped organizations create lasting competitive advantage through their data analytics and machine learning investments.

Throughout her career, Kathy has moved fluently between technical and business leadership roles, from writing SQL code as a database developer to leading marketing analytics and spearheading digital transformation initiatives at several Fortune 100 financial institutions. She has built a reputation for assembling high-performing teams, driving organizational change, and improving analytics maturity across financial services, healthcare, retail, and public sector organizations.

In the healthcare space, Kathy has contributed to regulatory advancement through her work with FDA working groups on novel clinical trial endpoints and has advocated for rare disease initiatives with federal administrators and legislators. She has served as an Advisory Board member for the Customer Analytics Program at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and is a frequent conference speaker on analytics transformation and adoption.

Kathy is also a co-author of "Mastering Project Discovery," which introduces the innovative OUtCoMES Cycle framework for developing and optimizing engineering and analytics projects. The book draws from her extensive practical experience to address critical challenges in project leadership and value maximization, providing real-world case studies and actionable insights for both practitioners and educators.

Kathy holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Florida and an MBA from Western Governors University. While mostly retired now, she remains passionate about the potential of data and analytics while enjoying an active life with her husband and two daughters. You'll often find her road cycling, practicing yoga, skiing, hiking, or planning the family's next travel adventure. She continues to give back to the community through her involvement with Pelotonia, a grassroots cycling event that raises funds for cancer research.