Kathleen Hogan

Kathleen Hogan
Alma mater	Harvard University (BA), Stanford Graduate School of Business (MBA)
Occupation	Business executive
Years active	1990s–present
Known for	Executive vice president for strategy and transformation at Microsoft; former chief people officer

Kathleen Hogan holds the position of executive vice president for strategy and transformation at Microsoft. Prior to this appointment, she was the chief people officer from 2015 through March 2025.

Education and early career

Hogan completed her undergraduate studies at Harvard University in 1988, earning a bachelor's degree in applied mathematics and economics. She later obtained an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1994.

Between her academic pursuits, Hogan was employed at Oracle Corporation until 1992, where she progressed from a software developer role to that of software development manager. Following her MBA, she joined the consulting firm McKinsey & Company, remaining there until 2003.

Microsoft

During her tenure at McKinsey, Microsoft was among Hogan's clients, leading to her recruitment by Kevin Johnson in 2003. By 2005, she had advanced to Corporate Vice President of Customer Service and Support. In 2009, Hogan was promoted to Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Worldwide Services, managing customer service, enterprise support, and consulting divisions with a workforce exceeding 20,000 employees. That same year, she was recognized by Profiles in Diversity Journal as one of its "Women Worth Watching."

In November 2014, Hogan took on the role of executive vice president for Human Resources, replacing Lisa Brummel. Although new to HR leadership, her prior experience overseeing Worldwide Services—particularly in talent acquisition and retention—established her credibility within Microsoft.

As chief people officer, Hogan played a pivotal role in steering the company culture under CEO Satya Nadella from a "fixed mindset" centered on competition toward a "growth mindset" that prioritizes learning, collaboration, diversity, and inclusion. This philosophy is rooted in the work of Stanford professor Carol Dweck. During Dweck’s 2016 visit to Microsoft, she commended the company’s profound grasp of the growth mindset concept. Hogan collaborated with Dweck on a Harvard Business Review article outlining this leadership framework.

In 2014, Hogan spearheaded an initiative bringing together HR leaders from competitors such as Google and Apple to jointly improve diversity within the technology sector. This alliance later grew to include firms like Intel, Starbucks, and Costco. Under her guidance, Microsoft enhanced parental leave policies in 2015 to cover all parents and introduced a four-week paid family caregiver leave in 2017—an uncommon benefit globally. These programs reflect Hogan’s personal dedication influenced by the support she received during her breast cancer battle diagnosed in 2007.

Boards and honors

Hogan is a board member of the National Center for Women & Information Technology, advocating for women's roles in computing fields, as well as the Puget Sound region chapter of the Susan G. Komen breast cancer organization. Since August 2019, she has served on Alaska Airlines’ Board of Directors. She has also previously held an executive board position with the Technology Services Industry Association.

In 2015, Hogan was recognized as a "Woman of Influence" by the Puget Sound Business Journal. The following year, she earned placement on the "Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology" list compiled by Yahoo! and the National Diversity Council.

For her exemplary leadership during the COVID-19 crisis, Hogan was awarded "HR Executive of the Year" in 2021 by Human Resource Executive magazine. In 2022, she was inducted as a fellow into the National Academy of Human Resources.

Personal life

Hogan spent her formative years in the southeastern region of Wisconsin, living in communities such as Wauwatosa, Brookfield, and Pewaukee. She completed her education at Brookfield Central High School in 1984. Hogan is a mother to one son, who was born in 2002.

External links

• Kathleen Hogan | Stories Profile of Microsoft Senior Leadership