Catherine Berardi is Founder and CEO of Prime Chief of Staff, a firm focused on increasing executive effectiveness through high-functioning executive office functions. Prior to launching Prime in 2014, Catherine served as Chief of Staff to President Mellody Hobson at Ariel Investments, where she provided high-level “right hand” support and advisory across a variety of business functions, including strategic planning, sales and marketing, human resources, community initiatives, and special projects. Catherine has held other positions at Ariel Investments, Principal Financial Group, and also founded a marketing strategy company in 2009.Catherine is passionate about helping professionals and executives understand and better utilize support systems within their organizations. She speaks at colleges and universities as well as companies and organizations across the U.S. She also serves as a mentor for students at University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business. Catherine graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Business Institutions. She currently resides in Evergreen, CO with her partner, Nick, and cute beagle Buddy.