Forty Under 40: Kathryn Allison

Kathryn Allison began pursuing her MBA from the University of Arkansas in the fall of 2005. Shortly thereafter, she began pursuing a new career in the region’s supplier community.

Allison left a marketing position at Tyson Foods for a sales job at Unilever. In 2008, she moved on to Johnson & Johnson, distinguishing herself with several promotions and increasing leadership roles during the next decade.

In early 2018, she accepted a job with omnichannel retail agency Harvest Group, where she drives business strategies to help small- to medium-sized companies manage their business with Walmart.

Allison joined the company as director of the consumables business division. In two years, the unit grew by 200%. It’s a factor in why the company has doubled in size over the past two years to nearly 130 employees.

Harvest Group promoted Allison to her current job in May. She leads a team of about 45 who focus their work on a group of 20 to 25 suppliers that sell consumables and general merchandise products to Walmart. It is the company’s largest business segment.

In a management position, Allison said getting the best out of others brings her the most satisfaction.

“Fundamentally, I believe that if you’re in a role that matches your skill set with something you enjoy doing, you’re going to thrive in that role,” she said.

A Texas native and graduate of El Dorado High School in south Arkansas, Allison majored in journalism with a minor in marketing at the University of Arkansas. She graduated in 2004, with internships at Stone Ward and Tyson Foods along the way.

Married with three children, Allison volunteers for the American Diabetes Association. She’s been a steering committee member for the Kiss a Pig Gala, the group’s annual fundraiser, for the past four years.