Katie McConnell Olson, CPA, PHR

Katie  is the Founder and CEO of GrowthWise Search Partners and Hire Education Consulting Group, Inc. She is a connector, innovator and curiosity ambassador.  Her practice brings transformations and solutions that help businesses accelerate financial and human capital growth.   

Katie has experience in serving clients of all sizes and industries in consulting roles and on internal teams within organizations. Her focus is in the middle market for companies with revenues ranging from $10M - $500M with a focus in construction, professional service, not-for-profit and agricultural companies. 

Her Story

She began her career in public accounting  with a regional CPA firm, serving as an auditor for publicly traded companies and construction and manufacturing entities. Katie exited that firm in 2011 to help launch and run a start-up CPA firm.

After leaving the start-up venture, she joined a worldwide recruitment organization where she performed full-cycle recruitment for accounting roles up and down the organization chart, specializing in middle-market companies and CPA firms . 

Katie remained connected with the CPA industry and re-entered public accounting as Director of Recruitment & Development for a large regional CPA firm where she lead the firm’s in-house talent, recruitment and training programs.  During her time with that firm, she formed a hiring consulting practice within the firm assisting clients with all stages and phases of hiring, with an emphasis in servicing the construction industry. That CPA firm was acquired by a billion-dollar entity, and Katie decided it was time to yet again enter the start-up arena, this time launching her own firm. 

Creating GrowthWise Search Partners & Hire Education Consulting Group, Inc. 

Hire Education Consulting Group was created with the idea that successful hiring is much more than just "putting a butt in a seat" or selling a company a resume for a high fee.  It is a holistic CONSULTING-FIRST process that starts before a company ever makes a hire, creating effective processes and lasting systems that support effective hiring results, retention and employee morale.  

GrowthWise Search operates with a consulting and strategy first approach, bringing organizations with the tools they need to create lasting improvements to talent processes and provide education on the hiring process. The firm supports full cycle search for rapid growth businesses. 

Some Creds 

• Bachelors of Science, Accounting, California State University, Sacramento
• California CPA License (no. 102891)
• Professional in Human Resources License (PHR) certification (no. 601014924)
• Six Sigma White Belt Certification (no. 3oFhsTkQE2)
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), member
• California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA), member
• CalCPA Women to Watch Emerging Leader Award (2015), Recipient
• Sacramento Business Journal – 40 Under 40 Award Recipient (2015)
• Sacramento Business Journal – Top 100 40 under 40 (2013, 2012, 2011)
• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business graduate (2021)
• Impact100 Sacramento member (2025)

Katie is a frequent speaker at conferences across the nation on topics including hiring and developing talent and recruitment best practices. Her passions include good food and wine, fitness and travel. Katie is also a book nerd, loves to read and learn new things. When she is not working, she can be found at the boxing gym or playing pub trivia.