Navigating Corporate Life as a Woman with Kim Yates

The Cocktail Hour Podcast

Kimberly Yates is a strategic executive, brand builder, and inspiration leader. Most recently, she has served as the VP of Marketing for Lee Jeans. Kim joined the VF Corporation and Lee Jeans in July 2015 with the intent of retelling the story of the 130-year-old authentic, American Lee brand. She created a new brand positioning, campaign, and architecture for the iconic brand. She transformed the look and feel of the brand, including the launch of three high end collections that have placed the brand in Free People, ShopBop, and on the runways of New York Fashion Week. Kim led a team of marketers, PR & digital strategists, creative design, and e-commerce leaders. She also served on the lead team to reinvent the Lee organization and to create the 5-year strategic business plan. Prior to joining Lee, Kim grew her career via both sales and marketing at Procter & Gamble. From 2012-2015 Kim served as the VP of Marketing for the P&G luxury beauty business in New York City. She led a team of marketing, internal sales, and design, across a portfolio of brands, including: Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, SK-II, Lacoste, Hugo Boss, and The Art of Shaving. Prior to that, while working at P&G’s Global Headquarters in Cincinnati, Kim held global and North America marketing roles for Pampers – P&G’s largest brand, Secret Deodorant, and Old Spice. Kim began her career with Procter & Gamble in her home town of Kansas City, where she sold nearly all P&G’s brands to grocery stores throughout southwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas. While working for P&G in Chicago, Kim obtained her MBA from Northwestern University, the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, with degrees in Marketing and Finance. Kim completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Missouri where she earned her BSBA in Marketing and Minored in Spanish.

Kim and her family reside in Overland Park, KS. Her husband, Chris, her two children, Megan & Zachary, and her dog, Leroy, are all thrilled to be back in Kansas City surrounded by family and friends. Kim and her husband spend most of their free time cheering on youth sports of all sorts – football, soccer, basketball, baseball and track, listening to piano practice, and reviewing high school homework. Kim dabbles in photography, practices yoga, loves musical theater, and enjoys running.