Getting “Spontaneously Candid” with Kathleen Hall, Chief Brand Officer, Microsoft

Sure, Kathleen is one of the most awarded and admired brand executives in the world. But how does she feel when she is sitting next to Carolyn Everson? 

Our very own Harjot Singh digs deep learning about the person who has either personally won or led her team in winning too many awards to list, but just a few: the 2016 Clio Advertiser of the Year, 2019 Cannes Lion Titanium and Grand Prix, 2019 Grand Clio and The One Show 2020 CMO Pencil Award. She was also selected as an honoree for the Advertising Women of New York’s 2016 Changing the Game Awards in the Brainwave category, which is bestowed upon executives viewed as being game changers in the way a business or product is marketed. This year, under Kathleen’s leadership, Microsoft was awarded the coveted 2021 Cannes Lions Marketer of the Year Award. 

All that said, this conversation is not about her accomplishments but about the person who achieved them…this is a fascinating discussion about an extraordinary person driven by passion, guided by her grandmother’s wisdom, bolstered by the confidence required to become one of the world’s leading marketers.  

At the same time, her personal story is both relatable and fascinating. Kathleen gets candid about her humble beginnings, how being part of a big family required her to find her voice early or risk not getting heard, and about how, despite all her success, she still has insecurities and self-doubt just like the rest of us.