Communications leader

Shaping narratives, teams, and systems that drive business impact

Marketing and communications leader at Airbnb, Amazon, and Starbucks. Former journalist. I build executive narratives, cross-functional teams, and AI-enabled communications systems that translate strategy into measurable outcomes.

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"I have 15 years of experience turning strategy into understanding and action at scale."

  • Building and leading global communications organizations across editorial, executive communications, internal communications, media relations, and content strategy.
  • Creating scalable operating models that improve planning, governance, and collaboration across teams supporting global business priorities.
  • Partnering with senior leaders to develop communications strategies that advanced business objectives and protected corporate reputation.
  • Developing high-performing teams by investing in talent education, clear operating principles, and a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
  • Introducing AI-enabled tools and modern workflows that increase efficiency, strengthen editorial quality, and enable teams to deliver more strategic work.

Professional Journey

Airbnb

Director, Global Host Communications — Mar 2022 – Present — Seattle, WA

Built and scaled the first Host Communications function for 5M+ hosts globally.

  • Lead strategy, editorial, channels, and crisis responses.
  • Define and own a multi-year roadmap for host communications and content services, aligning education, tooling, and measurement to Airbnb's growth priorities.
  • Improve host earnings by increasing adoption of revenue-driving tools.
  • Introduce new onboarding programs that improve completion rates.
  • Operationalize a newsroom style content engine, reducing production time.
  • Establish guardrails for AI-assisted content workflows to ensure accuracy and trust.

Airbnb

Director, Editorial — Jan 2022 – Mar 2022 — Seattle, WA

Launched and shaped Airbnb's host communications and content strategy.

  • Established the editorial function and defined foundational content strategy.
  • Developed team structure and automated workflows to support global content production.

Amazon

Director, Owned Channels and Content — Jan 2019 – Jan 2022 — Seattle, WA

Owned narrative direction for About Amazon and scaled global storytelling.

  • Built and scaled About Amazon into a global content platform, increasing engagement 63%.
  • Orchestrated campaigns reaching more than 20M customers via editorial, video, and digital channels.
  • Increased average campaign engagement 68% through improved targeting.
  • Developed CEO and executive communications including shareholder letters and keynote remarks.

Amazon

Editor-in-Chief, Amazon Stories — Jan 2017 – Jan 2019 — Seattle, WA

Formed the company's first storytelling team (Amazon Stories) and workflows.

  • Launched Amazon's first integrated storytelling platform spanning editorial and multimedia formats.
  • Established a metrics framework that doubled story completion rates.
  • Produced more than 200 original stories consistently exceeding engagement benchmarks.

Starbucks

Director, Editor in Chief, Digital News — Apr 2015 – Jan 2017 — Seattle, WA

Directed global executive, customer, and partner storytelling.

  • Launched 'Starbucks Stories', the company's global storytelling and learning platform.
  • Engineered content systems adopted by thousands of stores to improve partner message clarity.
  • Delivered training and educational content adopted by more than 200,000 employees worldwide.

Starbucks

Sr. Manager, Managing Editor Starbucks Newsroom — Jan 2014 – Apr 2015 — Seattle, WA

Founded the Starbucks Newsroom, transforming it into an award-winning, human-centered storytelling hub.

  • Developed the company's first editorial analytics system, driving 150% growth in engagement.
  • Reduced production time by three days through improved workflows.
  • Increased campaign engagement 24% through clearer storytelling.

Earlier Career: KIRO Radio (Morning News Host) • Sundance card designer (Small Business Owner) • Reuters (Journalist)

Core Expertise

  • Executive Comms: Shaping reputation-defining moments and guiding C-suite leaders through complex global issues.
  • Global Operations: Building high-performing teams and engines that improve quality and consistency at scale.
  • Digital Storytelling: Turning complex ideas into content ecosystems that reach millions and drive measurable impact.

Education

  • Art Therapy Practitioner — Certification (2025)
  • MIT Sloan School of Management — Certificate in Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy (2024)
  • Stanford University — Creative Writing (2023)
  • Cornell University — Executive Leadership Certificate (2020)
  • University of Northern Iowa — BA, Broadcast Communications & Journalism

Competencies

  • AI Strategy & Adoption
  • AI Workflows
  • Brand Storytelling
  • Corporate Communications
  • Crisis Management
  • Editorial Direction
  • Executive Narrative
  • Internal Communications
  • Media Relations
  • Operations Management
  • Strategic Communications
  • Team Leadership

Let's Connect

I love discussing brand reputation, storytelling, and strategic leadership.

Seattle, Washington, United States