Member since November 2025
Katie Juran is the founder of Juran Strategies, where she helps leaders communicate clearly during complexity and change. She works with Fortune 100 companies and high-growth organizations to clarify strategy, strengthen executive voice, and navigate high-stakes moments. She is an experienced speaker and facilitator, known for engaging large audiences and leading dynamic conversations, including panels and interviews with senior leaders and industry experts.
Previously, Katie was Vice President of People Experience at Intuitive Surgical, where she led employee communications, employer brand, and engagement for more than 16,000 employees globally. Before that, she spent 18 years at software pioneer Adobe, building the company’s executive communications function and supporting senior leaders through major milestones, including its transformation to a cloud-based business.
Katie is a graduate of Stanford University and is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
I’m passionate about helping leaders communicate with clarity where there isn’t any.
In many organizations, communication is treated as an output. What do we say, how do we say it, and when do we send it out? But the most effective leaders start with the outcome. What do we need people to understand, believe, or do as a result?
I’ve spent my career focused on moments of change where the stakes are high and the message is not obvious: major transformations, acquisitions, new technologies, and organizational shifts. When communication is clear, aligned, and grounded in the audience’s perspective, it delivers.
One of the most defining moments in my career was working on Adobe’s acquisition of a marketing analytics company called Omniture.
At the time, the reaction from analysts and the market was likely to be confusion. Adobe was known for creative and document tools. Omniture was a data and analytics company. People would ask a simple question: why does this make sense?
Internally, the strategy was sound, but it was difficult to explain clearly. Our small group of executives and communicators spent a long, sleepless weekend at a law firm prior to the public announcement and debating how to articulate the value of the combination.
The turning point came when we stepped back and realized we were trying to explain too much. We didn’t need more detail, we needed a clearer idea.
We reframed the strategy in a simple way: “art and science.” Creative and data were complementary and would enable a new kind of customer experience and market opportunity.
That single shift gave leaders a consistent way to explain the strategy, illustrated with a compelling visual showing two sides of the brain. It gave analysts and journalists something they could repeat. And it gave employees a clearer understanding of where the company was going.
This reinforced something I have seen throughout my career: when you can distill a complex idea into something simple and meaningful, you don’t just improve communication. You change how people understand the business.
Early in my career, I was the only communications person at a small wireless startup. Our CEO was known as the inventor of the portable cell phone during his time at Motorola. Looking for an opportunity to break into mainstream media coverage, I spearheaded a campaign marking the 30th anniversary of the first portable cell phone call he made.
It was wildly successful, with coverage across global media showing him with the “brick” phone and talking about what he was doing now. That weekend, I was driving when NPR’s news quiz show “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me” came onto the radio. My news announcement was a quiz question!
That was the moment it clicked for me. Communication is not just about getting the words right. It is about capturing attention and imagination, all with a clear business goal in mind.
As my career progressed at companies like Adobe and Intuitive Surgical, the stakes became much higher. I found myself working on moments where leaders were focused on what they wanted to say, but not always on what they needed people to understand or do.
I’ve spent my career helping leaders close that gap by turning complexity into clear, meaningful communication that captures attention, shapes understanding, and drives action.
Leaders are often encouraged to be more authentic or vulnerable, but the guidance can feel unclear or difficult to apply in a professional setting.
This session focuses on how leaders can bring more of their personal perspective into their communication, including relevant experiences, values, and moments from their own lives that shape how they lead. When done thoughtfully, this kind of sharing helps teams better understand not just what decisions are being made, but why.
Participants will learn how to incorporate personal context in a way that feels natural, strengthens connection, and builds trust. The session also addresses how to adapt this approach across different situations, including team settings, broader organizational communication, and moments of change.
Audience:
Managers through senior leaders responsible for leading teams and communicating through change. Particularly relevant for those looking to strengthen trust, engagement, and team connection. Suitable for intermediate to advanced audiences.
Many professionals are told to “be more strategic,” but the feedback often feels vague and difficult to act on.
This session breaks down what that expectation looks like in practice. It focuses on how to engage differently by connecting work to broader context, framing ideas more effectively, and communicating in a way that reflects perspective and judgment.
Audience:
Individual contributors, early- to mid-career professionals, and emerging leaders. Also useful for managers coaching others. Suitable for novice to intermediate audiences.
Change affects how people listen, what they focus on, and what they trust.
This session focuses on how to communicate during periods of uncertainty in a way that maintains clarity and credibility. It addresses how to communicate when not everything is known, how to sequence information over time, and how to maintain trust across multiple updates.
Audience:
Senior leaders, HR leaders, and communications professionals navigating organizational change. Also relevant for managers leading teams through transformation. Suitable for intermediate to advanced audiences.
Communication often breaks down not because it is unclear, but because it is interpreted differently than intended.
This session explores how people process messages in context, especially during periods of change or uncertainty. Participants will learn how to anticipate audience reactions, test messaging in advance, and reduce the gap between intent and impact.
Audience:
Managers, team leaders, and senior leaders responsible for communicating with teams or stakeholders. Particularly relevant for communications, HR, and cross-functional leadership roles. Suitable for intermediate to advanced audiences.
Organizations are often communicating ideas that are difficult to explain and even harder to absorb, including strategy, AI, and transformation.
This session focuses on how to translate complex concepts into clear, usable messages. It covers how to identify the core idea, avoid over-explaining, and create simple framing that others can understand and repeat.
Audience:
Individual contributors through executives who are responsible for explaining complex topics to others. Relevant across technical and non-technical roles. Suitable for all levels.
Most communication focuses on what to say. The more effective approach starts with what needs to happen.
This session introduces a practical framework for defining communication outcomes, understanding your audience, and structuring messages that drive action. Participants will learn how to move from information-sharing to outcome-driven communication that supports business goals.
Audience:
Managers through senior leaders; applicable across functions including communications, HR, product, and operations. Suitable for intermediate to advanced audiences, with concepts accessible to motivated early-career professionals.
One of the most defining moments in my career was working on Adobe’s acquisition of a marketing analytics company called Omniture.
At the time, the reaction from analysts and the market was likely to be confusion. Adobe was known for creative and document tools. Omniture was a data and analytics company. People would ask a simple question: why does this make sense?
Internally, the strategy was sound, but it was difficult to explain clearly. Our small group of executives and communicators spent a long, sleepless weekend at a law firm prior to the public announcement and debating how to articulate the value of the combination.
The turning point came when we stepped back and realized we were trying to explain too much. We didn’t need more detail, we needed a clearer idea.
We reframed the strategy in a simple way: “art and science.” Creative and data were complementary and would enable a new kind of customer experience and market opportunity.
That single shift gave leaders a consistent way to explain the strategy, illustrated with a compelling visual showing two sides of the brain. It gave analysts and journalists something they could repeat. And it gave employees a clearer understanding of where the company was going.
This reinforced something I have seen throughout my career: when you can distill a complex idea into something simple and meaningful, you don’t just improve communication. You change how people understand the business.
Early in my career, I was the only communications person at a small wireless startup. Our CEO was known as the inventor of the portable cell phone during his time at Motorola. Looking for an opportunity to break into mainstream media coverage, I spearheaded a campaign marking the 30th anniversary of the first portable cell phone call he made.
It was wildly successful, with coverage across global media showing him with the “brick” phone and talking about what he was doing now. That weekend, I was driving when NPR’s news quiz show “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me” came onto the radio. My news announcement was a quiz question!
That was the moment it clicked for me. Communication is not just about getting the words right. It is about capturing attention and imagination, all with a clear business goal in mind.
As my career progressed at companies like Adobe and Intuitive Surgical, the stakes became much higher. I found myself working on moments where leaders were focused on what they wanted to say, but not always on what they needed people to understand or do.
I’ve spent my career helping leaders close that gap by turning complexity into clear, meaningful communication that captures attention, shapes understanding, and drives action.
Leaders are often encouraged to be more authentic or vulnerable, but the guidance can feel unclear or difficult to apply in a professional setting.
This session focuses on how leaders can bring more of their personal perspective into their communication, including relevant experiences, values, and moments from their own lives that shape how they lead. When done thoughtfully, this kind of sharing helps teams better understand not just what decisions are being made, but why.
Participants will learn how to incorporate personal context in a way that feels natural, strengthens connection, and builds trust. The session also addresses how to adapt this approach across different situations, including team settings, broader organizational communication, and moments of change.
Audience:
Managers through senior leaders responsible for leading teams and communicating through change. Particularly relevant for those looking to strengthen trust, engagement, and team connection. Suitable for intermediate to advanced audiences.
Many professionals are told to “be more strategic,” but the feedback often feels vague and difficult to act on.
This session breaks down what that expectation looks like in practice. It focuses on how to engage differently by connecting work to broader context, framing ideas more effectively, and communicating in a way that reflects perspective and judgment.
Audience:
Individual contributors, early- to mid-career professionals, and emerging leaders. Also useful for managers coaching others. Suitable for novice to intermediate audiences.
Change affects how people listen, what they focus on, and what they trust.
This session focuses on how to communicate during periods of uncertainty in a way that maintains clarity and credibility. It addresses how to communicate when not everything is known, how to sequence information over time, and how to maintain trust across multiple updates.
Audience:
Senior leaders, HR leaders, and communications professionals navigating organizational change. Also relevant for managers leading teams through transformation. Suitable for intermediate to advanced audiences.
Communication often breaks down not because it is unclear, but because it is interpreted differently than intended.
This session explores how people process messages in context, especially during periods of change or uncertainty. Participants will learn how to anticipate audience reactions, test messaging in advance, and reduce the gap between intent and impact.
Audience:
Managers, team leaders, and senior leaders responsible for communicating with teams or stakeholders. Particularly relevant for communications, HR, and cross-functional leadership roles. Suitable for intermediate to advanced audiences.
Organizations are often communicating ideas that are difficult to explain and even harder to absorb, including strategy, AI, and transformation.
This session focuses on how to translate complex concepts into clear, usable messages. It covers how to identify the core idea, avoid over-explaining, and create simple framing that others can understand and repeat.
Audience:
Individual contributors through executives who are responsible for explaining complex topics to others. Relevant across technical and non-technical roles. Suitable for all levels.
Most communication focuses on what to say. The more effective approach starts with what needs to happen.
This session introduces a practical framework for defining communication outcomes, understanding your audience, and structuring messages that drive action. Participants will learn how to move from information-sharing to outcome-driven communication that supports business goals.
Audience:
Managers through senior leaders; applicable across functions including communications, HR, product, and operations. Suitable for intermediate to advanced audiences, with concepts accessible to motivated early-career professionals.