Meet Two Key Members of our Consulting Team
We sat down with members of CSM’s consulting team, Senior Director Kathryn Foreman and Senior Manager Angela Yang, to get to know more about their careers, their experience at Tokyo for the 2020 Paralympic Games, and how it compares to the other sporting events they have attended.
Describe you career in 5 words
KF: global, adventurous, challenging, well-timed, relationships
AY: “faster, higher, stronger – together”
You both are in the consulting team at CSM, can you tell us a bit about your roles and the clients you work with?
KF: I’m tasked with leading the Citi account, and I feel lucky every day for the opportunity to work with such an influential brand on one of their most impactful partnerships. Since I started with CSM in 2018 we’ve been focused on Citi’s partnership with the International Paralympic Committee which means we’re working with athletes, employees, and clients around the globe on a daily basis. There is never a dull moment!
AY: I also work on the Citi account like Kathryn. I focus on athlete strategies, Games-time planning and relationships in the APAC region. I’m also supporting the Peloton team in their sports strategy work. The different clients and types of work are great representation of the breadth and depth of our consulting capabilities.
You were recently out in Tokyo for the 2020 Paralympic Games. What an incredible experience! Can you tell us about your experience on the ground at the Paralympics and what was your highlight of the trip?
KF: It’s been a longtime dream to visit Tokyo, to be there and not be allowed to experience anything outside of the Paralympic family bubble due to COVID precautions (i.e. restaurants, bars, shopping, karaoke, did I mention restaurants?) was difficult. However, once the Paras started it was an unparalleled opportunity to enjoy para sport without having to navigate challenges typical to a Host City during games time, such as tourists, traffic and transportation shortages. We had a very privileged experience being able to move about the city with such ease we could attend as many events as we wanted. One day we attended five or six events in different locations around the city, that would NEVER happen during a typical Paralympics. This allowed us to see many Citi sponsored athletes compete and win medals in real time. My absolute highlight was attending the Opening Ceremonies and meeting Doug Emhoff, the Second Gentleman of the USA.
AY: Tokyo was my first Paralympics, so a lot of new things for me to take in, on top of the unique COVID situation. It was great to meet everyone who we worked with the past 18 months but haven’t had the chance to meet in person. I was most impressed by how passionate, driven, and genuine everyone is about making the Movement a success. It was also unforgettable watching the athletes we support reaching their goals and breaking records. Their energy with the juxtaposition of an empty stadium makes me reflect on the year the world has been through, and become extremely grateful for the experience, the volunteers, and the organizer.
For both of you, this was not your first Paralympic or Olympic Games, can you tell us which was your favourite and your roles in each?
KF: Tough question! My Olympic journey started with Vancouver 2010. I proceeded to work on London 2012, Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016. They were all incredibly special, and challenging, due to collaborating with new teammates, in a culture different from my own, while working on fast-paced and high-profile partnerships. For Sochi 2014 I worked with the organizing committee, during the three other Games I worked with national presenting partners to build and implement multi-year partnership campaigns. My favourite overall experience was with Lloyds Bank for the London 2012 Games. It was an incredible team, we worked hard, produced an extraordinary partnership, and had the best time from start the finish. It’s almost 10 years later and many of us are still good friends who communicate regularly. Second to that, I attended Rio 2016 Olympics as a guest of Bradesco Bank and was lucky enough to carry the Olympic Flame the day before the opening ceremonies. Brazil is one of my favourite countries, getting to visit Rio as a tourist and attend the Games without any work responsibilities was wonderful.
AY: I cannot pick my favourite as they are all so different! Tokyo was meaningful because it was the first Games I attended in a working capacity. I went to Beijing 2008 as a spectator. Beijing was a pivotal moment in China’s sports history and being Chinese, I was very proud of it. Then I volunteered at London 2012, first as a recruiter for Games-time volunteers and later a security team member at the tennis venue, Wimbledon. As a recruiter, I interviewed over 100 applicants, each for 30 minutes, to assess if their values and experiences align with the volunteering positions. I was deeply touched by their stories, and that experience inspired me to work in the Movement in the future. Fun fact, I won a pub quiz at the recruiter Christmas party, and my prize was a signed shirt from Seb Coe and several Team GB athletes!
When not at work, what would we find you doing?
KF: Hiking, listening to podcasts, planning my next trip, contemplating taking up yoga again
AY: Training for an upcoming marathon major!
