About Us
Who can benefit from business etiquette and protocol training? everyone.
These durable skills are not only for protocol officers. Professionals at all levels and across industries can improve their effectiveness by enhancing their skills and knowledge in etiquette, protocol, and intercultural communication:
C-Suite executives
Administrative support staff for leaders of organizations
Development and fundraising professionals
Event planners
Sales professionals
Advisors
Students and interns
Job applicants
Human Resources professionals
Teachers and lecturers
And more!
The benefits of business etiquette intelligence - the ability to learn and apply appropriate behavior in business situations - are widely accepted.
The rules for work are changing dramatically. Your training and expertise are certainly important, but you must also be aware that you will be judged by how well you handle yourself, demonstrate confidence and poise in a variety of situations, and work in teams.
By learning about and practicing business etiquette skills, you will be positioned to stand out amidst the competition through demonstrating courtesy, professional image, trust, and reliability. Showing that you have business etiquette knowledge will distinguish you from peers who have similar educational training, experience, and intelligence.
Protocol is distinct from etiquette, even though elements of both can impact a variety of situations. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines protocol as “a system of rules that explain the correct conduct and procedures to be followed in formal situations. The word derives from French protocole, the collection of set forms of etiquette to be observed by the French head of state, and the name of the government department responsible for this (in the 19th century).” Elements of protocol that should be understood by leaders and their support teams across industries include, but are not limited to, orders of precedence, seating arrangements, titles and honorifics, and introductions. Understanding and using the rules of protocol will position you, your team, and your company as one that is prepared to work successfully in a global environment.
CATHERINE M. WILSON
Founder and trainer/consultant
Catherine M. Wilson is a recognized expert in managing international visitor protocol, facilitating benefactor and donor stewardship, and executing event and protocol management for distinguished visitors and delegations. She has provided protocol and etiquette instruction throughout the United States and managed events and delegation itineraries in the US, Central America, South America, and Europe. She was recently featured as a guest on the Emily Post Institute’s Awesome Etiquette podcast, discussing protocol in today’s world.
Catherine currently manages in-person events for the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities (UERU), supporting the association’s mission to bring Carnegie R1 and R2 university leaders together to work collaboratively on the challenges and opportunities for a new model of undergraduate education developed in the Boyer 2030 Commission Report, The Equity/Excellence Imperative: A 2030 Blueprint for Undergraduate Education at U.S. Research Universities. She previously worked as the Director of Protocol, Stewardship, and Partnerships and in several roles supporting executive leaders at the University of Notre Dame. Previously, she was Director of Special Projects and Media Relations for the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for the 60th Judicial Circuit of Indiana. She currently also serves as an advisory board member for Fūrinkazan Venture Company, LLC, a global entrepreneurial finance & startup advisory firm that empowers under-estimated founders who want to start or scale their companies by providing them with the tools and resources to understand and navigate the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Catherine earned both her bachelor’s degree in philosophy and her master’s in nonprofit administration magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame, as well as a certificate in hospitality and tourism management from Florida Atlantic University and a Sustainable Events Professional Certificate from Events Industry Council. She is a graduate of The Protocol School of Washington®’s protocol officer training and is licensed through PSOW as an intercultural protocol and etiquette trainer. She is also certified in GlobeSmart Profile and Inclusive Behaviors Inventory through Aperian Global.
Catherine became a member of Protocol & Diplomacy International - Protocol Officers Association (PDI-POA) in 2016 and has served as a Forum volunteer, Member Buddy, Communications Committee Co-Chair, and Chair of the 2022 International Protocol Education Forum, as well as a member of the Events Committee and the Select Committee on Professional Behaviors, Ethics, and Responsibilities. Catherine joined the PDI-POA Board of Directors in 2020, serving as Vice President for Communications (2020-2022), and assuming her current role as President in September 2022.
