A catalyst for positive change, I help purpose-led founders + companies build their internal and external communications, marketing, and operations to gain more traction with investors, clients, and employees. 

If you're ready to take your brand to the next level and make a bigger impact, I'm here to help. 🤝

Elizabeth Jepsen, M.A.

Tara Kenyon, PhD

The Tara Kenyon Group

Managing Principal Consultant

Montreat College

Assistant Professor

Kentara Analytics

President & CEO

The Customer Solutions Group Lead within Risk Analytics, leading a team of experts, providing functional and technical risk management expertise for the financial services industry vertical globally. Product presentations, proposals, customized demonstrations and proof of concepts across the Risk Analytics product range. Interacts with Sales and Business Lines teams to analyze available solutions, plan enhancements, or new products in relation to client requirements. Interacts with Global Services & Support to ensure an effective hand-over on all customer implementations.

Global Banking Practice and North America Risk Analytics Lead

Senior risk consultant and solutions architect team lead, assisting the sales teams, product marketing, and product management with risk solution positioning content development and knowledge exchange activities to capitalize on revenue opportunities. Proven ability to build close working relationships directly with customers to develop functional risk solutions. 
Build point solutions based on my industry experience and customer and prospect contact. Successfully lead business development efforts. Analyze market segments and create effective business and marketing plans. Develop marketing and sales communication strategies.

Manager, Risk Solutions, Risk Research & Quantitative Solutions (RQS)

eSecuritel

Head of the Risk and Compliance Division and member of executive management, led insurance program compliance within all 51 U.S. jurisdictions, Canada, Latin America, India, East Asia, and Europe, risk-adjusted decision-making, and risk analysis across all business lines.

VP, Risk and Compliance

The South Financial Group

Member of Executive management and high-level senior risk committees—Credit, ALCO, Disclosure, and Risk Management (Chair).  Responsible for Loan Review, credit analytics, and adherence to holding company’s credit policy.  Accountable for ensuring that appropriate systems were developed, implemented and maintained to identify, measure, monitor, and control credit, operational, and market risks, in accordance with applicable regulatory guidelines and economic capital allocation and within the Company’s stated risk tolerances.  Provided oversight for quantitative analysis including stress testing for the commercial real estate, C&I, mortgage, HELOC, and consumer loan portfolios.  Ensured proper management oversight to monitor credit, operational, derivative, and settlement exposures.  Managed a staff of 41; $4.87 million budget.

EVP, Chief Risk Officer

Synovus Financial Corp.

Promoted to design and develop the Company’s first enterprise risk management process and to dissect Basel II and its (then) implications to the company’s credit administration and policy in 2001.  Graduate of the Leadership Institute at SynovusSM and member of the Company’s Key Talent pool.  Major contributions:
•	Developed and designed holding company’s first dual risk rating system and introduced business units to RAROC.
•	Effectively monitored the risk profile of the consolidated company, reporting regularly to the full Board of Directors.
•	Facilitated strategic planning activities for all banking operations (39 separate bank charters) and financial management companies (trust, brokerage, insurance). 
•	Acted as an internal consultant (process efficiency) for the mortgage company, reducing entire processing time (from application to funds received) by 31.8%.
•	Implemented the use of credit risk scorecards and other performance metrics for company-wide strategic and tactical market-based business plans.

Enterprise Risk Officer

Executives are expected to make sound decisions in the midst of complexity, with data that are often abundant but not necessarily illuminating.

𝐌𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐚𝐩—𝒕𝙧𝒂𝙣𝒔𝙡𝒂𝙩𝒊𝙣𝒈 𝒅𝙖𝒕𝙖 𝙞𝒏𝙩𝒐 𝒆𝙭𝒆𝙘𝒖𝙩𝒊𝙫𝒆 𝒄𝙤𝒏𝙛𝒊𝙙𝒆𝙣𝒄𝙚.

I advise CEOs and senior leadership teams in small to mid-sized organizations, particularly in financial services, healthcare, and the nonprofit sector. My focus is on aligning business judgment with analytical clarity—ensuring that data support not just measurement, but movement.

I do not offer canned strategies or generic frameworks. I work quietly alongside leaders as a sounding board and translator—connecting operational realities with strategic direction, and turning analysis into action. This is not about dashboards or reports. It is about better thinking.

When the path forward feels uncertain, I help bring it into focus.
When the volume of inputs becomes overwhelming, I help identify what truly matters.

If your organization is at a decision point—and you would benefit from a partner who listens first, translates complexity, and stays focused on what enables leadership—let’s talk.

You can reach me directly at:  +1.828.590.4091 - or DM me on LinkedIn.

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The Battle

Elizabeth Jepsen, M.A.

Tara Kenyon, PhD

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