Katherine M. Hudson

Katherine M. "Kathy" Hudson (born January 17, 1947) is an American executive who was the first woman to be appointed to the previously all-male Apple Board of Directors.

Early life and education
Hudson was raised in and competed in basketball, field hockey, soccer and volleyball. She attended in  from 1964 to 1966 and transferred to  where she received her B.S. in business management in 1968. Hudson continued her studies in the Ph.D. program in economics at, but soon left because of disruptions from student demonstrations.

Career
Hudson joined in Rochester, where her father also worked. She spent 24 years and rose to become the vice-president and general manager of its professional, printing and publishing imaging division.

In 1993, Hudson joined and became its first female President and CEO in January 1994. The company was renamed the in August 1998 and Hudson became its chairperson on April 1, 2003. She retired from Brady the following November. Hudson was also the managing director of investment banking firm Broadview Associates.

Apple Computer
Hudson joined the board of directors of Apple Computer in 1994. However, she resigned in 1997 following the return of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. The next woman to join the board was Andrea Jung in January 2008.

After Apple Computer
Hudson presently serves as a board member of, a trustee of , and the chairperson of the.

Personal life
Brady was married to Robert O. Hudson, who passed away in 2016. Their only child is also named Robert.

Articles

 * CIO Hall of Fame: Katherine M. Hudson by Richard Pastore at CIO (1997-09-15)
 * So Where Are the Corporate Husbands?; For Women at the Top, Something Is Missing: Social, Wifely Support by Mary Williams Walsh at The New York Times (2001-06-24, archived 2010-11-10)
 * Brady's Hudson: Nine years and a cloud of dust by Rich Rovito at BizJournal (2003-03-09)