Microsoft AI Appoints Andréa Mallard as CMO
Microsoft AI, the tech giant’s artificial intelligence research and product division, has named Andréa Mallard as its chief marketing officer, bringing in an experienced brand executive as it intensifies its efforts to influence how artificial intelligence is created and showcased to the public.
Mallard, who left Pinterest in January after seven years, announced the transition in a LinkedIn post, stating she started the position earlier this month. Describing artificial intelligence as “the most significant technological change of my lifetime,” she emphasized that its effect on future generations highlighted the importance of responsible leadership and public trust.
She becomes part of Microsoft AI, a sector created in 2024 and directed by Mustafa Suleyman, the DeepMind co-founder, who acts as CEO. The division contains Microsoft’s primary AI products aimed at consumers, such as Copilot, the corporation’s extensive language model assistant, along with Bing, Edge, and GroupMe, which have gradually incorporated generative AI functionalities.
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Mallard’s appointment arrives as Microsoft boosts its investment in artificial intelligence, dedicating billions to OpenAI and embedding its models throughout Microsoft’s software and cloud services, including Azure.
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Towards the end of last year, Microsoft AI launched updated branding and a revamped website to better illustrate its product range and goals amid growing competition in the AI sector.
The recruitment also illustrates a wider rush among AI and technology firms to obtain high-level marketing leaders who can convert intricate technologies into widely respected consumer brands. Nvidia has appointed Alison Wagonfeld, a former Google executive, as its inaugural chief marketing officer.
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At Pinterest, Mallard held the position of global chief marketing officer and subsequently broadened her responsibilities to include managing external communications. She established the company’s worldwide marketing structure and assisted in steering the brand during its 2019 IPO and the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
After Mallard left, Pinterest appointed Claudine Cheever as its new chief marketing officer. Cheever was formerly the vice president of global brand and marketing at Amazon, where she worked for almost ten years