Kathleen Alder (born 29.07.1983 in Hamburg) is founder and director of the PR agency WildKat PR. She is also a speaker at conferences as an expert in public relations, promotion, concert organisation and social media in the classical music field.
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Early life and career
Kathleen Alder was born in Hamburg and raised in a very musical household. Her father, Chris Alder, is an award winning music producer, with prizes including a Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo. Before founding WildKat PR, Kathleen Alder worked with El Sistema in Venezuela, at the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in Berlin, TVT Europe and Universal Music Group in London. In 2008 she launched her own PR Agency under the name WildKat PR. Three years later, in November 2011, she was awarded PR Week’s prestigious “29 under 29”. Besides running WildKat PR she speaks regularly at conferences and debates – most recently the Influencer Conference in London and Berlin, at the MIDEM in France and at Classical:Next in Germany.
WildKat PR
WildKat PR was founded by Kathleen Alder in April 2008. Having gained professional experience in the music industry and in the advertising sector, Alder's initial goal was to apply professional commercial strategies to public relations within the arts and the media. She has given several interviews about founding WildKat PR, among others to The Times in 2013. Since its founding, WildKat PR has worked with over 150 artists and organizations including Kings Place, Menuhin Festival Gstaad, Gustavo Dudamel, the Bamberg Symphony and the agency Manners McDade.
In 2009, WildKat PR opened their Berlin branch, and in Summer 2013, the New York office was launched. In 2016 WildKat employ 10 permanent staff and a network of freelancers. Kathleen Alder is constantly keen to experiment with new work-life balance trends, for example she established a 6-hourday scheme for her employees, reported The Guardian.
Network Dutyfy
In 2013, Kathleen Alder founded the Dutyfy Network, a network for women whose personal life and work life matter to them in equal measure. The Website "The Wallbreakers" reported on the launch.
Fellowship Noted Innovation
In 2015, Kathleen Alder created the fellowship Noted Innovation, which aims to offer financial support, industry opportunities and mentorship to up-and-coming talent in arts administration. The idea is to customize the fellowship around the recipient, in order to maximize their full potential and their impact on the industry. The first award winners in 2015 were the project Young Music Lab and the trombone player Johannes Weidner. Both the English and German press covered the launch.