Kathleen Hall, who recently served as the chief brand officer at Microsoft, announced that she will be leaving the company after spending 16 years there. Hall expressed her gratitude for her time at Microsoft and her team, stating that she plans to take some time off before embarking on her next adventure in New York. During her tenure, Hall oversaw various marketing and advertising initiatives across product launches, including campaigns related to Windows, Xbox, and Super Bowl ads. Before joining Microsoft, Hall held executive positions at Fidelity and Leonard Monahan.
Another significant departure from Microsoft is Jerret West, who served as the chief marketing officer for Xbox and as a corporate vice president in Microsoft Gaming. West, who returned to Microsoft in 2019 after a previous stint from 2003-2011, is now leaving the company. Prior to his time at Microsoft, West held executive roles at Netflix and American Express. In addition to these departures, Microsoft is bringing on two new marketing leaders: Bryson Gordon and Alyssa Schutter.
Bryson Gordon, who most recently held a global marketing leadership role at Google Workspace, is returning to Microsoft after spending nearly four years at Google. Gordon previously worked at Microsoft from 2005 to 2015 in various marketing positions. In his new role as corporate vice president, Gordon will oversee responsibilities related to media, partnerships, and agencies within the company. Alyssa Schutter, a seasoned live events leader, is joining Microsoft from Amazon Studios, where she served as the head of events. Schutter also has experience in leadership roles at MGM Studios and will be taking on the role of general manager of event creative at Microsoft.
These changes within Microsoft’s marketing leadership indicate a shift in the company’s strategic direction and a focus on innovative and dynamic marketing initiatives. The departures of long-standing executives like Kathleen Hall and Jerret West represent the end of an era at Microsoft, while the addition of seasoned professionals like Bryson Gordon and Alyssa Schutter signal a new chapter for the tech giant. It will be interesting to see how these changes impact Microsoft’s branding and marketing efforts in the coming months and years.
