Workday Appoints New CMO to Lead Global Marketing

Workday has appointed a new Chief Marketing Officer. 

Effective October 5 2026, Sarah Kennedy Ellis will be leading the company’s global marketing and communications organisation, responsible for Workday’s brand narrative and growth strategy as it continues its investments in AI. 

“I couldn't be more excited to welcome Sarah to the Workday leadership team,” says Aneel Bhusri, Co-Founder, CEO, and Chair of Workday. 

“She's driven growth at scale for some of the biggest technology companies in the world, and has spent the last decade at the centre of enterprise AI. 

“As every organisation actively navigates the future of AI to better manage their people and their money, Sarah's unique ability to translate complex technological shifts into compelling, customer-centric stories is exactly what we need.”

Telling stories with clarity, purpose and passion

Sarah holds extensive marketing experience, bringing more than 20 years of expertise to the role. 

She joins Workday after spending more than six years at Google, where she led global marketing for both Google Cloud and Google Workspace, holding roles such as Vice President of Global Marketing and Vice President of Global Demand and Growth. 

Before joining Google, Sarah was the Chief Marketing Officer of Adobe Experience Cloud – leading a marketing organisation of more than 400 employees globally, with a focus on supporting global demand growth, portfolio and product marketing and content marketing, among other responsibilities. 

She also spent close to three years as Chief Marketing Officer of Marketo, which was acquired by Adobe for US$4.75bn in 2018.

“What drew me to Workday is its unique position at the heart of the enterprise and its ability to help organisations harness the power of AI to elevate their two most vital assets: their people and their money,” Sarah shared on LinkedIn.

“Telling that story with the same clarity, purpose and passion our customers demonstrate in leading their organisations every day is an opportunity I can’t wait to take on.”

Workday’s Chief Marketing officer departs

Sarah succeeds Emma Chalwin, who recently announced that she would be taking on the Chief Marketing Officer role at Accenture as of 1 October 2026.

Emma has spent three years as Workday’s Chief Marketing Officer, where she led the global marketing organisation, driving brand transformation to amplify Workday’s promise of innovation, partnership and success globally. 

In her new role, she will be overseeing global marketing and communications for Accenture – filling a role that has sat empty since Jill Kramer, formerly the Chief Marketing Officer at the company, moved to a role as Chief Marketing Officer of Mastercard in December 2025. 

Commenting on her move to Accenture, Emma said: “Accenture is one of the world's most admired companies, and I am truly honoured to build on the legacy of its brand at a time when organisations are reimagining growth in the age of AI.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity to help shape Accenture’s next chapter of reinvention, building market influence, driving demand and deepening client relationships. 

“I’m excited to harness the power of AI while keeping human connection at the heart of everything we do.”

Workday’s partner network

Workday partners with several industry-leading organisations, including: 

• Amazon Web Services (AWS): Workday partners with AWS to enhance its AI services, empowering developers to innovate faster than ever with Workday Extend and keep business moving forever forward.
• Cognizant: Cognizant is a premier strategic Workday Services Partner that helps organisations deploy, integrate and optimise Workday's cloud platform for human resources, finance and student management
• Deloitte: The Deloitte and Workday alliance redefine enterprise transformation by integrating advanced AI and innovative solutions. Together, the two companies empower organisations to automate processes, enhance workforce experiences and unlock new possibilities by driving agility and value through the Workday ecosystem and Deloitte’s expertise in digital and AI-driven change.
• Google Cloud: Workday and Google Cloud’s partnership looks to elevate both business performance and employee experience – helping users manage people, money and AI agents on a secure, reliable and scalable platform.