EVP, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer
United States
165K followers
500+ connections
165K followers
500+ connections
About
As Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Microsoft, I lead the company’s enterprise-wide strategy and transformation agenda—defining how we evolve, operate, and grow for the future. This involves mobilizing and orchestrating change across Microsoft’s businesses and functions to advance our evolution into a Frontier Firm: one that is AI-powered, human-led, and continuously reinventing itself to create enduring impact.
This work builds on my previous role as Microsoft’s Chief Human Resources Officer, where I helped architect the company’s cultural transformation. By embracing a growth mindset and reimagining how people, purpose, and performance connect, we laid the foundation for the company’s next era of transformation— where accelerating progress with AI requires continuous learning, experimentation, and new ways of working.
Beyond Microsoft, I bring this commitment to transformation and purpose-driven leadership to my external work. I serve on the board of Alaska Air Group, the Stanford Seattle Advisors and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center advisory board. As a breast cancer survivor and former board member of the Puget Sound affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, I’m also deeply engaged in supporting health equity and resilience in our communities.
Articles by Kathleen
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165K followers
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Kathleen Hogan shared thisSharing this must read article from Katy George in TIME exploring how leaders should think about AI ROI. It captures beautifully the challenge we're hearing in nearly every customer conversation: organizations are moving quickly with AI, but many leaders are still wrestling with how to define and measure the value it’s creating. Three things she explores are central to how we’re thinking about this at Microsoft: → Start with the outcome, not the tool. The most effective organizations don't ask, “Where do we deploy AI?” They ask, “What business result are we trying to drive?” and work backward from there. → The concept of “capability add.” AI doesn't just make existing processes faster. It unlocks entirely new sources of strategic value that weren't possible before. The goal is not a leaner version of your old company. It's a fundamentally more capable one. → Leading indicators matter. Business outcome is the ultimate measure, but those metrics often take time to appear. The discipline is knowing and measuring which early signals — how work is changing and which KPIs are improving— tell you you’re on the right track. The return is there. The opportunity is in knowing where and how to look for it. Read her full article here: https://lnkd.in/g884QpPB
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Kathleen Hogan shared thisI recently had the chance to spend time with Vanguard’s top 200 leaders in a fireside chat with Kaitlyn Caughlin, CFA, their head of Enterprise Strategy & Transformation, focusing on what it takes to lead in this era of AI. Vanguard —like Microsoft, founded in 1975—draws on the history of a 50-year legacy that shaped their industry, along with decades of hard-earned experience to propel their next chapter of reinvention. The core theme: amidst huge opportunity, change is hard. Real transformation comes from changing how we think and act. Transformation doesn’t fail on strategy; it stalls in the day-to-day systems leaders run, where culture, behaviors, incentives, and operating cadence either reinforce change or quietly undo it. We talked about AI enabling business transformation, not a technology rollout—moving from pilots to real impact by embedding it in workflows with measurable outcomes. We also discussed the critical role managers play as multipliers, and the need for AI to ultimately do more for humanity, not less. The goal should be expanding access to intelligence, not concentrating it. One question that stayed with me: How do we help our people not just manage constant change, but actually thrive in it? Organizations are shifting from episodic change management to building continuous change readiness, and that raises the bar for leadership. This isn’t a passive moment. It requires clear intent, visible role modeling, and leaders actively shaping what the future of work looks like. The questions were direct—about resistance, momentum, and what leaders may need to let go of. There was a clear recognition that leadership itself is evolving. I have deep respect for teams willing to invest the time to learn together and push themselves to improve in service of a mission that matters.
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Kathleen Hogan shared thisThe biggest risk in AI transformation isn’t moving too slowly. It’s launching before your organization is ready to move with you. A recent Harvard Business Review article describes this as a “false start.” Leaders announce a bold change, but adoption never fully takes hold. Teams experiment, then revert under pressure. Incentives remain tied to old ways of working. Early momentum fades before the organization achieves measurable impact. That pattern feels familiar in the AI era. The balancing act between speed and adoption is real. Move too cautiously, and you fall behind. Move too quickly, and you exhaust change capacity before alignment and trust are in place. AI does not simply introduce new tools. It challenges operating models: how work flows across the organization, how decisions get made, and how teams create value. If those systems remain unchanged, technology generates activity, not transformation. Sustained impact requires clarity on business outcomes, visible leadership commitment, and early proof points that make the case for change tangible. Avoiding a false start ultimately comes down to building adoption deliberately. When belief, incentives, and operating models move together, transformation has a chance to endure. I'm curious, how are you balancing speed and adoption with your teams? https://lnkd.in/g7hukp4UHow to Avoid a False Start When You’re Leading a Big ChangeHow to Avoid a False Start When You’re Leading a Big Change
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Kathleen Hogan shared thisLast weekend I had the privilege of watching my colleague Chuck Edward receive the Spirit Award from the Greater Northwest Chapter of the National MS Society. I don’t usually post moments like this on LinkedIn, but this is one I’ll carry with me—and I felt it was worth sharing. I’ll never forget when Chuck made the deeply personal decision to share his then-private journey with MS. Not for recognition, but to help others navigate their own challenges. As a leader in Microsoft’s disability employee resource group, he asked a simple question: If not me, then who? Anyone who has ever “covered” at work knows how exhausting it is—you’re doing two jobs: your actual work, and managing how you show up while doing it. The second job is invisible, constant, and rarely acknowledged. That’s why Chuck—and leaders like him—matter so much. They make it safer to be open, easier to ask for help, and more possible for people to bring their full energy to what they do. On Saturday, Chuck connected with every person in the room through his energy, authenticity, and willingness to share his story. It was a powerful moment—not just because of the award, but because it revealed something deeper: a life spent empowering others and leading with real intent and heart. And the truth is, the Chuck everyone saw on that stage—optimistic, grateful, humble, funny, grounded in purpose—is the same Chuck I’ve had the privilege to work alongside for over 20 years. Showing up that way, every single day. Chuck, I’m so incredibly proud of you. And as you would say—pass it on.Kathleen Hogan shared thisPeople power the MS movement. Over the years, I've had the privilege of being in community with some remarkable leaders in our people-powered movement. One of those leaders is Chuck Edward, Corporate Vice President of Human Resources at Microsoft. Chuck also serves as a National Board Member for the National MS Society. Last week, the National MS Society celebrated Chuck's incredible leadership and advocacy for the MS community at the Party to End MS event in Seattle. The Party to End MS brought 400 people together to raise funds and awareness to help find a cure for MS, and to celebrate leaders in the MS movement. We were honored to present Chuck with the Spirit Award, recognizing his courage, advocacy, and lasting impact on the MS community. Since publicly sharing his MS diagnosis in 2020, Chuck has become a powerful and visible voice for our community. He’s championed our cause and been a forceful advocate for the people who make up the movement. And beyond all that, Chuck gives back in deep and meaningful ways. He’s invested in helping our National MS Society team members grow as leaders, and he is always ready to offer wisdom and counsel as we wrestle with challenging issues. I’ve benefitted from Chuck’s wisdom and am so grateful to be in community with him. Thank you, Chuck, for inspiring us and for all you do to advance our mission. Congratulations!
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Kathleen Hogan shared thisThere's a lot of anxiety around AI right now. But what I'm seeing is that the more people use AI, the more resourceful they become. They're discovering entirely new capabilities that translate into real business value. The problem is that most organizations aren't set up to capture that value. Microsoft's latest Work Trend Index shows why. Only 19% of AI users are in the Frontier, the sweet spot where individual capability and organizational readiness are both high and reinforcing each other. These are the people redesigning their work in real time, and their organizations are keeping pace. What I find most interesting is that the largest group sits in the emergent zone, the messy middle where both individual practice and organizational conditions are still taking shape. This is where leadership matters most. By role modeling themselves while also ensuring the right systems are in place—culture, manager support, and change management that encourage new ways of working—leaders have the opportunity to move both people and organizations up the curve and into the Frontier. Read the full report to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gSNC2_4z
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Kathleen Hogan shared thisAs a former math major, I’ve always liked equations. They reveal patterns and truths that aren’t obvious at first glance. One new equation that’s gaining traction at Microsoft and among our customers is: CI + AI = CA. Lately, I've observed a shift in discussions. Instead of focusing solely on how Continuous Improvement (CI) methods combined with the transformative capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI) can cut costs or automate tasks, people are increasingly interested in leveraging CI+AI to drive growth, spark innovation, and develop capabilities that were once unimaginable or too costly. We refer to this as "Capability Add" (CA). Put simply: CI + AI = CA. Traditionally, CI has centered on refining processes to achieve better results, reducing expenses, saving time, and boosting quality. While these improvements remain vital, AI is now expanding the realm of what's achievable. I'm fortunate to collaborate with Katy George and Kirsten Paust, both of whom bring extensive operations and CI experience. Katy led McKinsey’s global operations practice and served as Chief People Officer, driving meaningful change. Kirsten built world-class CI systems at Danaher and Fortive, setting a high bar for operational excellence. Together, we're exploring how people, process, and technology intersect in an AI-driven landscape. What we’re seeing is significant: Across 100+ internal Microsoft case studies, we’ve seen teams using CI+AI to catalyze growth, minimize risk, gain smarter insights, personalize experiences, and encourage innovation for both customers and employees. We are goal-seeking to add new capabilities and deliver higher value versus simply taking cost out. Increasingly, our customers too are seeking that same goal – how to translate added capability into competitive value and differentiation. A year ago, companies were asking: “How much cost can I save with AI?” Now, the question has become: “What new capabilities and value can AI deliver?” Are you leveraging CI + AI to create CA? If you’ve noticed this transformation, I’d love to hear your story. (Image generated with Copilot)
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Kathleen Hogan shared thisRecently, I had the chance to spend time with Microsoft employees from across the company who supported our annual GIVE campaign. We discussed The Insider's Guide to Innovation at Microsoft by Dean Carignan and JoAnn Garbin, and it sparked a great conversation about how we learn from the past, let go of what no longer serves us, and evolve in the era of AI. Everyone is feeling the pace of change. The question we kept coming back to: what patterns of innovation actually endure over time? A few themes that resonated: ▪ Innovation isn’t luck. It’s a system. Breakthroughs come from repeatable patterns: how teams are structured, how leaders behave, and how decisions get made. ▪ Learn from both successes and failures. From Xbox to Windows Mobile to Bing, the stories reminded us that understanding why things worked or didn’t is what builds capability. ▪ Culture matters as much as technology. Innovation starts with people and how we work together and across boundaries. ▪ Invention is not innovation. Innovation only happens when something is adopted and creates value. That’s the real challenge and opportunity with AI. ▪ Boundary crossers are critical. Progress depends on people who connect ideas, teams, and disciplines. ▪ Innovation runs on trust. Complex change is hard, and in every success story, transparency, consistency, and accountability build the trust needed for adoption. ▪ Great leaders hold dissonance. They can sit with competing ideas and tensions long enough to find a better path forward. Conversations like this are a good reminder that transformation isn’t just about what we build. It’s about how we learn, adapt, and bring people along. Grateful to my co-hosts, Dean and Katy George, and everyone who joined. Frédéric Dubut David Davis Sarah Battle Diana Heileman Romero Jen Weigel Pooja Chadha Megan Mulhall Nishant Nishant Gena G. Amie Fleming
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Kathleen Hogan shared thisAI is empowering people in new and exciting ways—and changing how work gets done. This creates a pivotal moment for leadership. That’s why I’m excited to have contributed to "Lead with AI: Adapt, Implement & Transform Your Organization," a new certificate course produced by MasterClass in collaboration with Microsoft, featuring leaders and innovators across the company who work with AI every day. In this course, we share perspectives on moving from experimentation to real impact—how to identify the right opportunities, build pilots that demonstrate value, scale those efforts across your organization, and harness this technology responsibly and strategically. Whether you’re just getting started or further along in your AI journey, this course is designed to help you lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose at a moment when it matters most. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gHR8MuVn
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Kathleen Hogan shared thisWe often talk with our customers about the importance of building AI fluency and confidence. Not just understanding what the tools can do but knowing how to use them well. We're focused on that internally at Microsoft too. Recently, my team came together for an AI skills session to strengthen those same foundations. What made it special was that it was truly grassroots. Our people came up with the idea and drove it forward, with leadership supporting and participating alongside them. We designed the session to be hands-on and collaborative, with teams experimenting and learning together in real time. We explored new capabilities like Copilot Cowork, looking at how AI can move from generating outputs to taking action across tasks and workflows. One of the lighter moments was using Microsoft Designer to create AI-generated mascots (one which you can see here), a simple and fun way to get more comfortable with prompting and see firsthand how different inputs shape the outcome. It also created space for honest conversations, not just how to use AI, but how to use it thoughtfully. We talked through which tools and models make sense in different situations, how to evaluate the quality and trustworthiness of outputs, and where human judgment matters most. If there's one thing this reinforced, it's that this kind of learning doesn't have a finish line. Even for teams using AI extensively, the capabilities are evolving quickly and staying effective means keeping pace and continuing to experiment and adapt. As leaders, we have a responsibility to make space for that. A special thank you to David Zhang for taking the lead on making this happen and our "instructors": Davian Bryan, Mihir Dhoot, Jack Knickrehm, and Dirk Komarnitsky.
Kathleen Hogan commented on a post
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Thank you for hosting this discussion, NACD Northwest Chapter. Honored to share the stage with Sally and Brad along with Sara and Mark! I really enjoyed hearing from the fellow panelists about this timely topic as well as talking with everyone who stayed after to further discuss.
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Kathleen Hogan liked thisKathleen Hogan liked thisWe can’t ask people to work in new ways, and then measure, reward, and manage them like nothing has changed. The 2026 Microsoft Work Trend Index puts data behind a conversation I’m hearing everywhere, something we’re calling the Transformation Paradox. People feel real urgency to move fast with AI. Yet many still default to what feels safe. And very few feel rewarded for actually reinventing how they work. We found that factors like culture, manager support, and talent practices drive more than 2x the impact of individual mindset and behavior. So how do we unlock that impact? • Model it: Use AI visibly. Share how it’s reshaping your day, what it’s unlocking in your own work. • Make it relevant: Changing the way we work can’t feel like a one-time sprint. Connect it directly to your team’s priorities • Reinforce it: Build and reward new habits and new ways of working until they become the default on your team. If we want different outcomes, we have to create different conditions for how work gets done. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gCRXJVcY
Experience
Education
Skills
Publications
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How Microsoft Builds a Sense of Community Among 144,000 Employees
Harvard Business Review
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How Microsoft Uses a Growth Mindset to Develop Leaders
Harvard Business Review
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