I am a storyteller, corporate marketer and communications expert, content strategist, and experienced writer and writing coach. Please connect if you would like to work with me on journalistic projects, organizational storytelling, employer branding, or evolving your literary writing. See my resume below. (Creative CV here.)

LinkedIn profile

nataliebeth@gmail.com 

Natalie Singer-Velush

Senior Communications Leader | Executive & Employee Communications | Editorial Strategy

I build and scale narrative systems and AI-aligned communications engines for brands, leaders, and audiences  

Seattle, WA | nataliebeth@gmail.com | 206-390-0355 | LinkedIn | Visual Resume

I’m an executive-level communications leader and editorial strategist who brings a journalist’s rigor, a storyteller’s craft, and the judgment of a trusted C-suite advisor to employee, executive, reputation, and media communications at a global scale. Known for sharp narrative instinct, a bias for clarity over noise, and calm leadership when the stakes are highest, I help leaders and organizations shape positioning, build belief, and earn trust. I’ve led global employee communications and engagement; architected and activated end-to-end content, campaigns, and live experiences for audiences of 200,000+; and guided executives, platforms, products, and enterprise portfolios through public-facing transformation, launch, and change. I build and scale high-impact content engines that blend the responsible use of AI with the irreplaceable human layer of judgment, creativity, and experience, delivering best-in-class engagement, adoption, and value across earned, owned, and shared channels.

Core Leadership Scope: Employee, Executive & Media Communications | Culture, Change & Reputation Leadership | Executive Advisory | Storytelling & Narrative Strategy | Issues, Crisis & Risk Management | Editorial, Content Systems & Governance | Audience and community engagement | Organizational, Program & Operating Leadership | Journalism & Policy Translation | Leadership Excellence

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Director of Communications & Employee Engagement

Global Talent, Learning, and Culture + Office of the Chief People Officer – Microsoft | 2021 – Present

Lead enterprise-wide executive and employee communications for Microsoft’s People function and global talent, culture and inclusion, workforce transformation, and AI readiness portfolios. Serve as senior advisor to Corporate Vice Presidents, Executive Vice Presidents, and business leaders on employee communications, change management, organizational storytelling, and reputation-sensitive decisions. Built and scaled communications frameworks, governance models, editorial systems, operating rhythms, and high-performing teams that support complex organizational priorities while improving employee understanding, engagement, and action.

Employee Communications

• Own internal communications strategy supporting global employee audience of 200,000+, translating business priorities, organizational change, workforce transformation, DEI strategy, and AI adoption initiatives into clear communications, engagement campaigns, and employee experiences.
• Build and run centralized newsroom-style communications frameworks, editorial processes, and governance models that improve consistency, transparency, and understanding across complex initiatives and connect employees distributed globally across functions, communities, and 190 countries.
• Define channel strategy and governance across intranet, executive cascades, newsletters, events, and real-time channels—clarifying what each channel does, who it serves, and how it drives outcomes.
• Created and led The Code of Us, Microsoft’s flagship employee storytelling platform, transforming heritage and ERG programming into a year-round culture and inclusion initiative that amplified employee voices, strengthened belonging, and generated 96% positive audience sentiment.
• Lead content programming, narrative development, and executive preparation for large-scale employee engagement events, including global town halls, leadership forums, culture campaigns, and experiences such as Career Day and ERG Engage, a global inclusion and learning event.
• Define communication success measures and audience feedback mechanisms, using engagement data and employee insights to continuously improve reach, effectiveness, and message resonance.
• Measure not just reach but whether employees actually understand and are moved to take action, using employee listening, behavioral signals, and data insights to refine strategy and close gaps.

C-Suite & Executive Communications

• Led communications for Microsoft’s Chief Diversity Officer and CVP of Culture and Talent, scaling her platform and leading on all engagements, content, and channel strategy and driving +340% reach.
• Served as senior communications advisor to more than 30 EVPs and CVPs, counseling leaders through high-visibility organizational announcements, culture initiatives, and sensitive employee- and external-facing communications.
• Build and scale leadership communications programs—platforms, frameworks, and coaching systems that enable senior leaders to communicate consistently at scale.
• Write and edit high-stakes executive communications including keynotes, announcements, and thought leadership—setting the standard for clarity, tone, and narrative precision.
• Extend executive judgment in moments of ambiguity, pressure, and reputational sensitivity.

Issues Management, Media Strategy & Reputation Protection

• Lead communications and positioning during periods of sustained public, regulatory, and employee scrutiny, balancing risk, transparency, and long-term trust.
• Lead rapid-response communications and content development for complex, fast-moving issues in high-visibility environments—protecting brand trust and ensuring accurate representation.
• Lead enterprise external, earned media, and reputation strategy for data and ESG reports, accelerating a global portfolio intersecting technology, talent, AI, workforce transformation, and culture.
• Partner cross-functionally across public affairs, PR, social, brand, regional, legal, and marketing teams to translate business priorities into integrated storylines, campaigns, and multi-channel content.

Organizational & Team Leadership, Chief of Staff

• Build and develop high-performing communications teams that deliver under pressure.
• Establish clear operating models, decision rights, and execution cadence to drive consistency and speed.
• Served as interim Chief of Staff, re-designing systems and workflows for agility and change.
• Own multimillion-dollar communications budgets and lead cross-functional agency and vendor partners.

Principal Product Marketer, Data-Driven Thought Leadership

Modern Work – Microsoft | 2019 – 2020

• Led Microsoft’s data-driven go-to-market thought leadership strategy for Microsoft Modern Work and data analytics product suite, defining the narrative and positioning for a new marketplace category and driving product launch amid the pandemic-driven redefinition of work.
• Interpreted data trends and designed telemetry-driven content campaigns, telling the story of the future of work to key internal and external audiences including customers and analysts.
• Drove marketing, product, and customer research and architected creative and data-based storytelling systems supporting productivity, wellbeing, and adoption at scale.

Managing Editor & Communications Lead

Microsoft Life – Microsoft | 2016 – 2018

• Directed editorial strategy, content planning, and employee communications programs including enterprise weekly newsletter, intranet, employee portal, and live event content, reaching a global employee audience of 150,000+.
• Managed editorial calendar, channel strategy, executive content development, and cross-functional stakeholder engagement supporting organizational priorities, product innovation and culture initiatives.
• Oversaw a major channel redesign driving 448% increase in story engagement; led writing, social, creative, and web team of 12, developing talent and delivering end-to-end content programming.
• Engaged and onboarded regional organizations, nonprofits, academic institutions, and corporations to generate investment and community support.

Executive Editor and Content Director

ParentMap Media | 2012 – 2016

• Directed editorial and content marketing strategy for award-winning media company; led a team of 30+ writers/creatives across all digital, print, social media, and live event content.
• Built and scaled integrated print, digital, social, and event content engines across owned and earned channels, innovating to solve a critical business ROI challenge by building a sponsored content platform.
• Partnered with nonprofit, health, education, and policy experts to engage and activate audiences.
• Positioned company CEO across live events, customer & fundraising engagements, and communications.
• Tripled digital engagement and delivered multimillion-dollar ad impact through narrative-led growth.

Journalist (Data, Policy, Legal Issues), Columnist & Author

The Seattle Times; The Desert Sun; Hawthorne/Catapult Books; prominent news publications | 2000 – 2018

• As an award-winning news journalist for The Seattle Times and The Desert Sun covered data and demographics, transit and transportation, elections and policy, legal systems, and technology, leveraging data-driven and explanatory storytelling and building trust within communities to support democracy.
• Reported on a range of high-impact topics for publications around the US including voter disenfranchisement and family policy. Published award-winning nonfiction, recognized for clarity, accuracy, narrative craft, and translating data and technical complexity into meaning.

EDUCATION

MFA, Creative Writing, University of Washington

• Focus: Technology-Mediated Communication and Theory. Hall of Alumni Excellence inductee.

BA, Journalism, San Francisco State University

• Focus: Nonfiction News. Editor-In-Chief.