Turning Analysis into Action: How Kathryn Palmer Connects Expertise to Impact

For Kathryn Palmer, good analysis is about more than getting the numbers right. It’s about understanding what those numbers mean, and helping people use them to make better decisions.

As a Carbon and Sustainability Specialist at Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL), Kathryn works at the intersection of technical analysis, operations, regulation and long-term planning. Her work helps teams understand carbon intensity, greenhouse gas emissions and regulatory requirements, while identifying what those insights mean in practice.

That ability to connect technical expertise with practical action is part of what made Kathryn a 2026 CFA Rising Star Award nominee.

“I think that’s probably the part of my work that I like the most, not just doing the technical work, figuring out how we can use it to make better decisions.”

After beginning her career in consulting, Kathryn moved into industry in search of a deeper, more lasting impact. She was drawn to FCL’s cooperative model and saw an opportunity to contribute to an industry working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while continuing to provide the energy Canadians rely on.

Much of Kathryn’s work involves life cycle assessment (LCA), a process used to understand the carbon intensity of fuels. But for her, the analysis is only the starting point.

Her goal is to turn complex information into something teams can understand and act on. That means understanding what matters to different groups and adapting the way information is communicated.

“It’s just trying to think about what motivates different groups or different people, what their priorities are, and trying to speak their language.”

Kathryn brings that same focus on practical decision-making to her work with teams across FCL and with industry peers. Whether she is working through regulatory questions or bringing different groups together around emissions-reduction goals, she looks for ways to connect expertise and keep the bigger picture in view.

Looking ahead, Kathryn wants to continue building expertise across FCL by sharing knowledge and mentoring more junior colleagues. For her, being a rising star is about continuing to ask better questions, make complex information easier to understand and help people make informed decisions.

As Canada’s fuels sector navigates evolving regulations, new technologies and emissions-reduction goals, Kathryn sees an opportunity to keep learning, share what she knows and help the people around her make better decisions. It’s an approach that reflects what being a rising star means to her: not having all the answers, but helping others find a way forward.