Meet our Team:
Katie Strattan

As part of our ongoing spotlight series, meet Katie.

Katie, our head of delivery, is celebrating 10 years at Athlon.

She leads our delivery team with sharp focus and calm confidence. From planning to launch, she works hand-in-hand with project managers, content and tech leads to keep everything moving. Every detail, every deadline, every deliverable – Katie’s on it.

Here’s to a decade of Katie. And to everything still to come.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Well, firstly – there is no ‘typical’ day, which I absolutely love.
Delivery touches every part of what we do so I’m lucky enough to work across a variety of projects and mix with everyone on the team.

I always kick off the day by writing my focus list (yes, on paper – I’m old school!) and using that as a way to set myself daily targets and keep on top of ever-changing priorities.

Most of my time is spent collaborating with the wider team and clients, helping to solve problems and deliver projects. From internal stand-ups, to client workshops and team 121s, I spend a large chunk of my day on Zoom, so working from home never gets lonely!

Has your role evolved since you started at Athlon 10 years ago?

I joined Athlon in 2015 as a Studio Manager and quickly found myself drawn to the Project Management side of things. I’ve had the opportunity to work on some really exciting projects over the years, with exposure to a variety of industries, brands and methodologies.
From product strategy and rebrands through to complex websites / applications – it’s been a real mix – and definitely kept things interesting!

In 2021, I moved into a Project Director role, where I started focusing more on our delivery standards. Making sure the project managers had the right support and tools to deliver projects smoothly and grow as a team. From there, I began to take an interest in company operations from a more holistic perspective.  I started to work more closely with other Senior Leaders on initiatives to continuously improve how we deliver as a business. 

Today, as Delivery Director, I’m super passionate about delivering quality projects for our clients, as well as building a collaborative team environment where people feel motivated and supported to do their best work.

 10 years is a big milestone! What’s kept you at Athlon all this time?

Oh, how time flies! 

There’s a few key reasons…

• The people. I’ve met so many amazing, talented individuals over the years and made some friends for life (both colleagues and clients!) 
• The culture. Despite being remote first, we’re super collaborative, supportive and celebrate each other’s wins.
• The challenges. My best days are spent problem-solving – and even 10 years down the line, there’s still more to learn!
• The opportunities — not just professionally, but also getting to travel to some incredible places. From climbing mountains in Bulgaria to running workshops in New York and desert adventures in Dubai — it’s been pretty awesome.

What inspires you – inside or outside of work?

Knowing that I’m making a difference (no matter how small it might be!) is what keeps me going.

What’s one thing you’ve learned or how have you grown over the last decade?

From a delivery perspective, I’ve learned that it’s all about finding that sweet spot between product quality, client satisfaction and commercial success. It’s not always an easy balance, but this mindset has allowed me to make confident and considered project decisions over the years.  

What’s been the biggest standout career highlight at Athlon over the last 10 years?

Oooh, impossible to pick just one! Being a part of award-winning projects and witnessing our products really making an impact is unmatched.

Being a BIMA 100 Judge and being featured by Agency Hackers in their Operations Leaders Top 50 was pretty cool too ☺️

What do you geek out on?

I LOVE a psychological thriller novel. 

If it really grips me, I’ll read a whole book in one day!  More recently, since renovating my first home, I’m super into interior design and can spend hours scrolling on Pinterest looking at home inspo!

What do you get up to when you’re not plugged in?

I picked up running a few years back, and now it’s part of my daily routine. A morning jog through nature while catching up on my latest podcast always puts me in a positive mindset for the day. 

When I’m not out running or in full mum-mode, you’ll usually find me chasing down my next live music fix.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be & why?

Time control! 

The things I could achieve with an extra few hours a day….