In 2008, Kate Badey began her journey with Safety Consultants USA by managing the back office, managing everything from bookkeeping to scheduling safety training classes. Shortly after, she began to resolve client support issues and by 2015, she was named the director of client relations. In this higher-level role, she became more involved in operations, human resources and strategic planning.
Her collaborative efforts proved to be just what the company needed and ultimately led to her taking on the roles of president and CEO by 2020.
Safety Consultants USA is an employee safety company committed to preventing injuries, illness and death so everyone returns home safely at the end of their workday. The firm provides people with the training, knowledge, consulting, staffing and tools so all team members work safely and prevent accidents not only for themselves but for others on their teams.
Under Badey’s leadership, the company has increased revenue by 200% in just over three years and has nearly doubled in size with currently 24 full-time team members. The firm has also expanded from one office in Georgia to seven offices in six other states.
“Kate is consistently looking for what is needed to make the next smart move or take the next intelligent step for the company and their clients,” said her colleagues. “Her passionate focus is on creating a legacy by making employee health and safety consulting and training accessible to companies no matter how many or how few they employ.”
As a leader, Badey said the most important rise she took was investing in the organizational culture. “During a time when remote work had become the standard and team building seemed to be a thing of the past, we doubled down on creating a culture that fostered relationships within our organization,” she said. “We continue to invest money to bring our team members together regularly for continuing education, client support discussions and brainstorming.”
When solving complex problems, Badey said she likes to challenge conventional wisdom and find innovative answers. “I encourage team members to express themselves freely and welcome even the most off-the-wall ideas,” she said. “This process stretches our thinking to give us alternative answers in case we need to adjust, which sometimes happens.”
Giving credit for success to the team’s collaboration is a key part of her leadership style. “Motivations, dreams and success look different for everyone in the organization,” said Badey. “By helping each individual reach their own potential, everyone wins – especially our clients.”
