LinkedIn Executive Driving Marketing and Communications Strategies
As the chief marketing officer of LinkedIn, Shannon (Stubo) Brayton is responsible for driving the company’s worldwide marketing and communications activities.
The Silicon Valley PR veteran joined LinkedIn six years ago during a period of rapid growth for the company, where her achievements included directing the communications strategies for the company’s successful IPO in 2011.
Brayton has two decades of experience leading teams and shaping corporate narratives for some of the world’s most innovative and disruptive companies, including Yahoo!, eBay, Intuit, OpenTable and LinkedIn. She is widely recognized as a leader in both corporate communications and marketing.
Her diverse experience has enabled her to successfully drive all communications strategies – from managing crisis communications and IPO roadshow decks to building global teams and producing high-impact consumer events. At LinkedIn, she oversees all aspects of global marketing, external communications, internal communications, media relations, social impact, social media and community relations.
She is an Advisory Board Member at Nextdoor.com, Sidewire and NerdWallet, and regularly mentors global communications and marketing professionals across the industry.
She said her biggest career leap was taking a job with eBay in Switzerland. She spent two years working abroad, and it fundamentally changed her perspective on how to work in a global company. “I had to adapt quickly and manage the complexities of working across Europe. It was very challenging, but certainly made me a stronger leader and person,” she said.
Brayton says being a woman in her profession is invigorating. “There is a lot of camaraderie among women in Silicon Valley. I invest in my network and rely on them for information and support, and I help others when they need it. But I try not to focus too much on the fact that I’m a female,” she said.
Regarding leadership qualities, she says the most important quality a woman leader should have is authenticity. “Be honest with yourself and be honest with others,” she said.