Kate Speer
Kate Speer is a marketing and communications executive with experience spanning retail,
financial services, and industrial sectors. She currently serves as Vice President
of Marketing & Brand Development for Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop, a nationwide
specialty retailer and wholesaler, where she leads brand strategy, marketing media,
content, community engagement, and growth initiatives across multiple markets.
Her work at Grandpa Joe’s was recognized with a 2025 American Marketing Association
– Pittsburgh Marquee Award for Best Print Campaign (B2C).
Previously, Speer held senior executive leadership roles at JLE Industries, a
flatbed transportation company, where she served as Vice President of Marketing,
Engagement & Investor Relations. As a member of the senior leadership team,
she oversaw company-wide brand strategy, marketing media, engagement initiatives,
and investor communications, earning industry recognition for innovative brand
leadership.
She later held communications roles at BNY, where she served as Vice President
of External Communications and Vice President of Public Engagement Communications,
supporting communications strategy, public-facing initiatives, and stakeholder
engagement across key programs within a global financial institution. In these
roles, she partnered cross-functionally with internal teams to execute messaging,
manage communications initiatives, and support brand reputation efforts.
Speer holds an MBA from Robert Morris University, where she was inducted into
Beta Gamma Sigma, Alpha Chi National College Honor Society, and the National Society
of Leadership and Success. Her professional development includes a Women in Leadership
Certificate from Cornell University, completion of Harvard University’s Leadership,
Ethics, and Corporate Accountability program, designation as a Certified Social
Media Strategist (SMS) through the National Institute for Social Media, and a Lean
Six Sigma Green Belt certification.
Her professional achievements include being named a 2022 Transportation Marketing
& Sales Association Top Brand Innovator, a 2023 Top Woman to Watch in Transportation
by Women in Trucking, a 2023 Woman of the Year Nominee by the National Association
of the Women’s Interactive Network, and a 2024 Brave Women Project Pillar Award
Nominee.
Speer is actively involved in professional and community leadership. She is a
member of the American Marketing Association of Pittsburgh, where she previously
served on the board as Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and
served on the Board of Trustees for the Frank Sarris Public Library. She is also
a member of Pittsburgh Professional Women, the National Association of the Women’s
Interactive Network (Pittsburgh Chapter), Brave Women Project, and Pittsburgh’s
Elevated and Emerging Leaders (PEEL).
She lives in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, and brings a practitioner-driven, real-world
perspective, bridging strategy, execution, and human-centered communication.
Website:
https://www.katespeerconnect.com/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-speer/