Dr Katie Best is a Visiting Senior Research Fellow in Public Services Management & Organisation at King's Business School. She is a leadership coach, consultant, and author with over 20 years of experience in university and executive education. She earned her PhD in Management from King's College London in 2010, focusing on workplace interaction, strategy and leadership in the museum and gallery sector.

Following this, Katie served as MBA Director at BPP University, where she developed an award-winning specialist MBA program tailored to the legal services sector. In 2012, she joined the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) as the Foundation for Management Education Fellow, enhancing collaboration between academia and industry within the Department of Management.

At King’s Business School, Katie coaches individuals and groups on the EMBA and teaches on the Emerging Leaders Programme and bespoke external programmes. Through her consultancy, KatieBest Associates, she offers leadership coaching and designs bespoke development programs for organisations across sectors such as legal services, accountancy, healthcare, government, fintech, technology, and the cultural and creative industries. Notable clients have included Ropes & Gray, Lewis Silkin, Mishcon de Reya, EY, KPMG, Goldman Sachs, Barclays, Verizon, the NHS, and the V&A.

As an ICF-certified Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Katie specialises in guiding leaders through their toughest challenges. She is also a certified Smart Collaboration Accelerator user and a qualified Strengthscope Master practitioner, leveraging these tools to help individuals and teams maximise their performance, collaboration, and leadership impact. Her coaching approach is grounded in research, practical application, and a deep understanding of leadership challenges in tough environments.

Katie’s research on leadership, communication, and strategy has been recognised internationally, winning track prizes at the Academy of Management Conference and the British Academy of Management. She has been published in top-ranked journals, including Human Relations and Organization Studies. She is also an accomplished public speaker and has authored a book, The Ten Toughest Leadership Problems: And How to Solve Them, published by Basic Books in August 2025

Dr Katie Best is currently not accepting PhD students.