Rachel Kay

Rachel Kay is the vice president of talent and strategic development for Hearst. In this role, she develops and leads strategic initiatives related to recruiting, diversity and inclusion, compensation and talent planning across all of Hearst’s businesses.

Kay joined Hearst in 2019 after working for 15 years at McKinsey & Company, the international management consulting firm. She started at McKinsey as a consultant and then transitioned to roles responsible for managing and operating the firm. Among other positions, Kay led the U.S. undergraduate analyst program, overseeing growth in the overall program as well as driving an initiative to retain more analysts for long-term careers at the firm. She was the founding leader of a team focused on North American women’s recruiting and served on the global committee charged with developing a firm-wide diversity and inclusion strategy.

Kay also acted as the chief operating officer of McKinsey’s mid-Atlantic region, responsible for the consultants and support staff across four McKinsey offices. In that position, she led the teams that managed consultant deployment, client development, financial reporting, real estate strategy and human resources. Ultimately, she held a role leading the global partner performance management process and developed and implemented strategies to strengthen and embolden the McKinsey partnership.

She holds a law degree from Columbia Law School and an undergraduate degree in history from Harvard University.