Workday Taps Google Cloud Marketing Chief to Lead AI Growth Strategy
Event summary
- Workday names Sarah Kennedy Ellis as Chief Marketing Officer, effective October 5, 2026.
- Ellis joins from Google, where she led global marketing for Google Cloud and Workspace.
- She previously served as CMO of Adobe Experience Cloud and Marketo, which Adobe acquired in 2018.
- Ellis will oversee Workday's global marketing and communications, focusing on AI-driven growth.
The big picture
Workday's hiring of Sarah Kennedy Ellis underscores the strategic importance of AI in enterprise software, particularly in HR and finance. With over 11,500 organizations relying on its platform, Workday is positioning itself as a leader in AI-driven business outcomes. Ellis's background in scaling marketing for high-growth enterprise tech businesses suggests a focus on differentiating Workday's AI offerings in a competitive market.
What we're watching
- AI Differentiation
- How Workday will position its AI capabilities against competitors like Adobe and Google.
- Marketing Execution
- Whether Ellis can translate her success at Google and Adobe to Workday's AI narrative.
- Revenue Growth
- The pace at which Workday can accelerate its growth strategy under Ellis's leadership.
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