Dr. Kathleen Buse

Dr. Kathleen Buse is a business leader whose work focuses on helping organizations be more successful through the development of engaged and inclusive cultures. As director of the ERC Women’s Leadership Institute, Kathleen helps employers recruit, retain, and advance women through research-based solutions and development services. Additionally, she is leading the efforts at ERC to expand the use of data analytics to support client initiatives, the NorthCoast 99 program, and ERC’s Employee Engagement Survey practice.

Kathleen’s experience includes 25 years in industry, beginning as an engineer and advancing to executive leadership. She spent 10 years in academia where she became an award-winning researcher and top-rated educator. Prior to her role at ERC, Kathleen was president of Advancing Women in the Workforce, faculty director for the Leadership Lab, and adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University. At CWRU, Kathleen taught research methods including multivariate data analysis.

Kathleen earned a PhD in management from Case Western Reserve University, an MS in electrical engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology, and a BS in chemical engineering/engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University. Her industry experience includes Kodak, Lubrizol, Avery Dennison, and Sherwin-Williams. She is an active volunteer, currently serving as a board member at the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning and at Magnificat High School where she chairs the Education Committee. She is chair of the United Way of Lake County and a founding member of the Women’s Leadership Council. Kathleen and her husband have three children and live in Lake County.