Diana Marszalek 15 Feb 2024 // 4:43PM GMT
CHICAGO — Kathy Krenger has stepped down from her role leading Kraft Heinz communications to join the nonprofit-focused consultancy thredpartners.
“I am a partner at a woman-owned business that focuses on connecting my years of experience and learnings with matrixed, global organizations, like Kraft Heinz and Hyatt, to nonprofit organizations to help improve performance with meaningful solutions,” Krenger told PRovoke Media. “All of us at thredpartners have experienced the bureaucracy and inertia that can stall any great company and we want to help those who are doing such important work for communities in need to break through and increase efficiencies and effectiveness so they can make a greater impact.”
Krenger brings to the role more than 25 years of corporate and agency experience.
Krenger most recently was with Kraft Heinz, where she served as the food giant’s chief communications officer. “We’re grateful for the communications transformation that she helped lead over the past two and a half years,” said Alex Abraham, who oversees the company’s external corporate communications.
Abraham said there are no plans to replace Krenger. Kraft Heinz’s communications function has been folded into corporate affairs, which is led by chief legal and corporate affairs officer Rashida La Lande.
Before Krenger joined Kraft Heinz she was senior VP of global communications at Hyatt Hotels for four years. At Hyatt, she led corporate, internal, brand and field communications for the company and more than 1,000 hotels worldwide. During the pandemic the marketing budget was slashed to zero, meaning PR had to drive promotions and offers.
In her new role, meanwhile, Krenger supports nonprofits with a range of services — assessments, strategic alignment & planning, stakeholder engagement, communications and change management among them. Clients include groups focused on legal aid, food insecurity, domestic violence, DE&I and more.
“I am able to lean into my many years of client service and reputation building to support those doing the hard work for others,” Krenger said. “I love it!”