Stephanie Soesbe is chief operating officer for Rhea + Kaiser, overseeing key business functions and critical agency assets. Appointed to the position in June 2010, Stephanie is the first COO in the agency’s 32-year history. A 13-year veteran of R+K, Soesbe most recently served as director of organizational performance. In that role, she functioned as a corporate compass, charged with keeping the agency’s internal, financial and client-facing processes operating at peak efficiency. She led a critical evolution of R+K U, the agency’s innovative training program. In addition, Stephanie led initiatives focused on compensation-model innovation, forecasting, budgeting, business technology efficiencies, digital immersion and process enhancements. Stephanie began her R+K career in 1997 as an account executive, working on clients including Bayer CropScience, Detroit Medical Center, MidAmerica Bank, Motorola and Nicor Gas. Prior to joining R+K, Stephanie was marketing manager for Professional Exposition Management Company (PEMCO), where she was responsible for strategic marketing, copywriting, production and media relations for engineering and consumer tradeshows. Stephanie began her career at Indiana University, managing consumer communications and special events for the university’s recreational sports division. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Indiana University, specializing in advertising. She also received a Master of Science in sports marketing and management from Indiana University. She resides in Naperville with her husband, Nate, and their four children.