Kathryn was a senior officer in the Australian Army, retiring at the rank of major general in early 2023. For over two decades she was involved in Defence capability. She served as Head Land Capability responsible for the modernisation and sustainment of all Army equipment and infrastructure including helicopters, tanks, communication systems and uniforms. In her last appointment within the Australian Defence Force Headquarters she was responsible for integrating capability across the three Services. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for "exceptional service to the Australian Defence Force in the fields of capability development and education".

Kathryn is also a Non-executive Director of Austal Ltd, DefenceHealth Ltd, Cylent International Pty Ltd, Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Giants (a division of the AFL) and ACT Basketball. She provides a range of advisory and consulting services.

Kathryn holds an Executive Master in Business Administration (Complex Project Management), a Master of Management in Defence Studies; a Graduate Diploma in Information Technology and a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Honours). She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the INSEAD Advanced Management Programme.