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Welcome to Changemaker Stories from LOCAL - an ongoing series of personal interviews with leaders driving change across every industry and discipline. Because change shouldn’t mean going it alone.
This week, we caught up with Angie Wright, a lifelong communicator whose career has spanned tech giants like Amazon, Meta, and now Microsoft. We talked about the transformative potential of AI, the power of answering “what’s in it for me,” and the creative inspiration she finds walking the beach—even on Seattle’s grayest days.
Whenever you go through a major transformation that’s reshaping the world—no matter the industry—AI is almost always a driving force. But with any shift that big, the real challenge isn’t just the technology. It’s the behavioral change. And that takes time.
What’s cool about Microsoft is that it truly prides itself on being Customer Zero. They’re transparent about the fact that AI is a behavioral shift for them, too. They’re going through Copilot adoption, running internal training and skilling programs—just like their customers.
At Microsoft, skilling and education are ongoing priorities. We aim for a learn-it-all rather than a know-it-all mindset across the company. There’s a strong investment in continuous learning, with a wide range of programs, workshops, videos, and other resources to help people keep growing and evolving.
In any kind of transformation, data plays a huge role. One of the biggest lessons I took from my time at Amazon was just how deeply data-driven the company is. Before that, a lot of the campaigns I worked on were based on historical experience, conversations with reporters, or gut instinct—things that are still forms of data, in a way. But at Amazon, we looked at data with a level of precision I hadn’t experienced before.
I learned to always ask: What does the data say? For example, how many people are really shopping for Valentine’s Day—are we talking 20% of users on our site, or 75%? Because if it’s 20%, that probably doesn’t justify a big campaign. But if it’s 70%, then there’s real opportunity. So when it comes to communicating change, I’ve found that leaning into data is one of the most effective ways to drive adoption.
“You have to answer: What's in it for me?”
Always remember the WIIFM: What’s In It For Me? At our core, people are naturally self-interested—we want to know, How is this going to affect me? Will it make my job easier? Will it help me move faster or be more effective at what I do? If you can answer those questions clearly when communicating change, you’re much more likely to get buy-in.
At the heart of it, it’s really about clearing away the drudgery—the repetitive, tedious tasks you don’t necessarily want to do—so you can free up time and creative energy for the work that actually fuels you. The work you want to be doing.
I’m not afraid of AI taking my job. There are still things only humans bring to the table: ambition, voice, creativity. You still need that spark to make something truly special—something that resonates, feels human, and connects. AI can assist, but being relatable is still on us.
Transparency and bringing people along on the journey are absolutely critical. When you’re clear about your goals and the reasons behind the decisions you’re making—and remain open to feedback from others—it builds trust and encourages collaboration.
It’s about staying vigilant on your path, but also remaining open to pivoting or taking a new route if fresh information comes your way. If you discover a better approach, being flexible enough to adjust is key.
I worked at Meta back when it was still called Facebook. At the time, Mark Zuckerberg would host an AMA every Friday out on the quad. We were in California, so the weather was beautiful. We could literally ask him anything, and he was always very open and accessible.
I think it’s all about balance. As someone in executive communications, especially with an internal audience, I want to be transparent with the team. But at the same time, we need to handle certain things delicately. It’s about sharing the right information in the right way, at the right time.
Sometimes, it’s about saying, “I can’t share everything right now, but here’s what I can tell you. And I can promise that as soon as I’m able to share more, I will. In the meantime, I’m happy to answer any questions you have, though just know I might not have all the answers right now.”
There will always be moments when employees question, "Why do we have to do this?" But if you take the time to make them feel invested in the process—by explaining why you're doing it, how it benefits the company, and that their feedback is valued—it lets them know they’re part of the journey, and that goes a long way.
Nobody’s going to be on board with everything—unless, of course, you’re offering a $1 million bonus to everyone! But seriously, I think the best thing you can do is remember: Clear is kind.
If you can clearly explain why you’re doing something, even if someone doesn’t agree with it or is opposed to it, that transparency tends to earn respect. Even if they don’t agree, they can at least say, “Okay, I get why this is happening.”
When it comes to reaching employees, what's exciting about working at a data-driven company is that we actually have the data to guide us. At Microsoft, we know that the best way to meet our audience where they are is through town halls. It’s the number one preferred method for receiving information, followed by AMAs. Email communication comes in third.
Town halls are a really intentional and effective way to bring everyone together for a focused, one-hour session. We hold them quarterly, and as an employee, you know that important information will be shared during that time. There’s a clear agenda, and it’s not just a random meeting that pops up on your calendar.
AMAs are popular because people want to feel heard, not just spoken at. At their core, people want to be seen and recognized. By creating a space where they can express themselves, where they feel genuinely listened to, it goes a long way in building trust and engagement with employees.
I’m a big fan of a straightforward, no-frills email. If my CVP sends an email that’s simply text—no formatting—saying, “Hi, I have important information for you. Here it is. Your action items are X, Y, and Z. Thanks for being a part of this team,” it’s short, sweet, and to the point. People really pay attention to that kind of message because it’s clear and direct.
It’s important to figure out the right cadence for communication. If you’re sending multiple messages throughout the day, it just becomes noise, and people stop paying attention. We need to deliver the most crucial information in bite-sized pieces, to the right audience, at the right time—not too often—so that when our executives do communicate, it has the maximum impact.
Part of why I love my job and what I do in communications is because I’ve had the opportunity to build programs from the ground up. I truly believe that in order to communicate at scale, you have to put solid processes in place.
If I’m one person working with one executive, we can collaborate all day long without any formal process or procedure, because I’m the one owning everything and going straight to the source for the information I need. But when you try to scale that to a larger team or more executives, you absolutely need a process in place to make it work efficiently.
I know the word “process” can sound a bit intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be a huge, complicated thing. For example, at Microsoft we have a simple template. Anyone who wants to speak with our executive fills it out, giving us a general idea of what they need. We then use that template to create the briefing document for the executive. It doesn’t need to go through layers of approval, but having that process in place keeps everything running smoothly.
With AI, I’ve rarely ever taken a draft and used it verbatim—but it has absolutely saved me time. There have been moments where I’ve thought, “Wow, this is actually a great first draft,” or “This slide is pretty solid—I just need to tweak a few things and it works.”
As a new tool starts working and proving its value, that’s when the behavior shift really begins. Once people see that it’s actually saving them time—and that they don’t have to start from scratch every time—they begin to adopt it more naturally. That real, tangible impact is what drives the change.
It would honestly be hard for me to go back now. And I’m not sure I would have said that even two months ago. That just goes to show—adopting any new technology takes time. Behavior shifts take time. But once you experience the benefits, it really starts to change how you work.
You also have to repeat the message—sometimes several times, and in several different ways—before it really lands. That’s just how people absorb information. So as communicators, it’s on us to reinforce the message consistently, across different channels, until it sticks.
When you're leading through change, empathy is everything. Change is hard. People can feel scared, worried, nervous, excited… sometimes all at once. And everyone experiences those emotions differently. So when you’re navigating change, you're not just dealing with logistics or strategy—you're dealing with a huge range of emotional energy.
When you lead with empathy, it’s important to remember that being honest and direct is actually one of the most respectful things you can do. You're not helping anyone by sweeping things under the rug or sugarcoating the message. We’re all adults—we’re at work because we’re professionals, and people can handle the truth.
A place I go for inspiration is the beach. I’m a Southern California girl at heart, living in Seattle—so you can imagine how tough that can be on my soul. But I do live near a beach, and even on the dreariest days, I’ll throw on a raincoat and take my dog for a walk.There’s something about being near the water—watching the birds, hearing the waves, catching that occasional glimmer of sun. It grounds me. Being in nature refuels me. That’s where I find creative energy.
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