Kate Nightingale

Kate Nightingale is an expert in consumer, retail and design psychology and the founder and Chief Behavioural Officer of Humanising Brands, a behavioural strategy, design, experience and innovation agency. As the creator of HUMAN Brands, which connects deeply with human performance, Kate is a trailblazing figure in the world of making brands feel more alive, more human. 

Founding Humanising Brands in 2013, Kate introduced a new concept of human experience consultancy to the market, combining scientific research with creativity and consumer business experience. Kate strives to transform brands by humanising the customer, and inserting their experience into the forefront of the brand. Working with companies, such as Swarovski, EE, Ocado, Samsung, and more, Kate provides audit, refinement and design across four key areas of the business: Strategy, Design, Experience, and Innovation. she has lecturered in consumer psychology at London Metropolitan University, Instituto Marangoni and for ELLE Education and, since 2015, she has served as a Consumer Behaviour and Psychology Lecturer at the London College of Fashion, and has been a Lecturer in Consumer Psychology at Regent's University London since 2018. In 2022, she founded and became the editor-in-chief of Humanising Design, exploring the intersection of design and science. The following year, she founded Women of Retail and most recently became an associate consultant partner with Future Platforms. 

Named a RETHINK Retail 2026 Top Retail Expert, Kate is also the author of the 'Multi-brand retailer community model: How multi-brand retailers can create and manage strong brand communities' paper in the Journal of Brand Strategy. She has also appeared on TV, including 'Secrets of the Supermarket Buyers' and 'Bargain Holiday Secrets' on Channel 4.

A stand-out figure in her field, Kate's insights are regularly featured in the mainstream media, such as Sky News, Marketing Week, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, BBC News and Channel 4 News. One of the first three fashion psychologists in the world, Kate incorporates her nearly two decades of experience into her wider brand, design and strategy work. From supporting future generations of leaders to celebrating female and diverse voices across the retail industry, Kate is a unique voice with fresh and current perspectives that will leave audiences not only inspired but also enlightened. As a renowned speaker, moderator and chair, Kate has appeared at ETail, IRX, DCX, Campaign Brand Forum, Retail Week Masterclass, and has spoken for global brands including Nespresso, Disney, and Stanley Black and Decker.