High-performing boards don't happen by accident. They are built — through clear governance structures, well-prepared directors, deliberate design, and the kind of candid, informed deliberation that fiduciary duty demands.

Ascent works with boards to strengthen how they govern, how they function, and how directors engage. Engagements are tailored to what each board actually needs — from a targeted briefing on the board’s role and fiduciary duties or an emerging governance topic, to a full board assessment.

A full board assessment entails evaluating a board’s governance structure, board dynamics, and the conditions that enable or constrain effective oversight.

Kate has spent more than 25 years bridging the boardroom and the executive suite — working with board and committee chairs on governance effectiveness, guiding boards through corporate transactions, transitions, and emerging risks, and coaching the executive teams accountable to them.

For public and private company boards, Fund/ETF Boards, professional corporations, and other organizations.

Ascent brings particular depth to mutual fund and ETF boards — where independent directors operate in a uniquely demanding environment defined by an externally managed structure, specific fiduciary requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the annual 15(c) advisory contract review process, and heightened regulatory scrutiny.

Ascent advises companies that need more than a strategy consultant — drawing on decades of senior leadership and governance experience coupled with deep business and financial services domain knowledge.

Ascent works with financial services firms of all sizes and advises on various platforms, products, and services — with particular expertise in asset management, including advisers, funds/ETFs, fintechs, wealthtech, and retirement services.

Ascent helps firms operating or seeking to operate in a highly regulated ecosystem understand the operating environment — what buyers evaluate, what regulators scrutinize, how boards actually function, and what governance, regulatory and compliance posture signals credibility.

Ascent also support clients navigating regulatory change, technology adoption, or strategic inflection points. Technology integration — including AI governance — is a core part of this work, connecting governance and regulatory requirements to the realities of how firms design, deploy, and oversee new tools.

Board service is demanding — and the expectations placed on directors have never been higher. Whether preparing for a first board seat, stepping into a leadership role on an existing board, or navigating a complex governance environment, directors benefit from focused, practitioner-led guidance tailored to where they are and what they need.

Ascent offers private coaching and educational sessions for individual directors, board leadership, and professionals preparing for board service — drawing on Kate's experience working directly with boards through all stages of a board's lifecycle.

Sessions are tailored to the individual and can cover fiduciary duties and board roles, governance structure and committee design, board-management dynamics, oversight of regulatory and emerging risks including AI, and strategies for effective engagement and leadership in the boardroom.

Mutual fund and ETF boards present a governance environment unlike most others — and even highly experienced directors often arrive without full familiarity with the structure, the regulatory framework, or what their role actually requires. Ascent helps directors get up to speed quickly, contribute with confidence, and govern well from day one.

For executives preparing for their first board seat, Ascent also offers board readiness coaching — helping candidates understand what boards actually need, how to position their experience, and how to contribute effectively.

Good governance matters as much in the nonprofit sector as anywhere else — often more, given the mission and the stakeholders served.

Ascent selectively supports nonprofit boards with governance advisory, board education, and leadership support — bringing the same standards and practitioner depth to mission-driven organizations. Engagements are offered at dedicated nonprofit pricing as part of Ascent's commitment to service.