Our firm
Built on Expertise. Driven by Partnership.
For over 15 years, KWC Global Partners has helped small and mid-sized businesses navigate complexity, seize opportunity, and build the foundations for lasting growth.
Our story
Why We Started KWC
KWC Global Partners was founded in 2009 with a simple conviction: that small and mid-sized businesses deserve the same quality of strategic advisory that large corporations take for granted. Too often, growing companies face their most consequential decisions — market expansion, operational transformation, capital allocation — without access to the seasoned expertise that could make the difference between success and stagnation.
Our founders brought together decades of experience from leading consulting firms, Fortune 500 executive roles, and entrepreneurial ventures to build something different: a firm that combines institutional rigor with genuine partnership. We don't parachute in with pre-packaged solutions. We invest in understanding your business, your people, and your goals — and we stay engaged until the work is done.
Today, KWC serves clients across more than 40 industries in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Our team has grown, our capabilities have deepened, and our client relationships have endured — but our founding conviction has never changed.
What guides us
Our Core Values
Candor
We tell clients what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. Honest counsel — delivered with respect — is the foundation of every engagement we undertake.
Partnership
We measure our success by our clients' results. We work alongside your team, not above it, and we stay engaged through execution — not just the planning phase.
Rigor
Every recommendation we make is grounded in evidence, analysis, and experience. We don't rely on frameworks alone — we do the work to understand your specific situation.
Integrity
We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards in every engagement. Our clients trust us with sensitive information and consequential decisions — we take that responsibility seriously.
Our track record
Recognized for Results
15+
Years in operation
Founded in 2009, we've built our reputation engagement by engagement.
200+
Client engagements
Across more than 40 industries in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
$2.4B+
Client revenue influenced
Through strategy, operations, and market expansion engagements.
98%
Client retention rate
The majority of our clients return for additional engagements.
Our leadership
The Partners Behind KWC
Our leadership team brings together decades of experience across strategy, operations, finance, and organizational development.
Katherine W. Chen
Founder & Managing Partner
Katherine founded KWC Global Partners after 18 years at McKinsey & Company, where she led the firm's SMB advisory practice across North America. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in Economics from Yale University. Katherine is a frequent speaker on strategic growth and organizational resilience.
- MBA, Harvard Business School
- BA Economics, Yale University
- Former Partner, McKinsey & Company
William R. Okafor
Managing Partner, Operations
William brings 22 years of operational leadership experience, including executive roles at General Electric and Honeywell before joining KWC. He specializes in large-scale operational transformation and has led engagements across manufacturing, logistics, and professional services.
- MS Industrial Engineering, MIT
- Former VP Operations, General Electric
- Certified Six Sigma Black Belt
Claire M. Santos
Partner, Financial Advisory
Claire leads KWC's financial consulting practice, drawing on 16 years of experience in investment banking and corporate finance. She has advised on over $4 billion in transactions and specializes in capital structure optimization, M&A advisory, and financial modeling for growth-stage companies.
- MBA, Wharton School
- Former VP, Goldman Sachs
- CFA Charterholder
Ready to Work Together?
We'd welcome the opportunity to learn about your business and explore how we might help.