Endurance, Empathy & Executive Presence: Leading through Change, with Kelly Clarke

In this episode, we sit down with Kelly Clarke, a seasoned internal communications leader with experience at Cisco, Meta, and Gong, to explore how endurance and empathy power executive presence in times of transformation. With a foundation in PR and a heart for human-centered leadership, Kelly shares how she’s guided companies through crises, culture shifts, and massive change—always with transparency and trust at the core.

Simpplr’s Carolyn Clark, VP of Employee Experience Strategy & Transformation, joins the conversation to uncover how internal comms can drive clarity, connection, and courage at every level of an organization.

In This Episode, We Cover:

1. Leadership Lessons from Endurance

Kelly draws parallels between her long-distance running journey and her leadership style—revealing how consistency, mental toughness, and recovery fuel her ability to lead through complexity.

2. Building Comms Functions in Times of Change

From high-growth startups to global tech firms, Kelly shares how she’s built and scaled internal communications during reorgs, rebrands, and remote work pivots—always keeping the employee experience front and center.

3. Coaching Leaders to Show Up Authentically

Great comms start with great leadership. Kelly discusses how she partners with executives to cultivate transparency, vulnerability, and intentional messaging—making leaders more relatable and impactful.

4. Life Lessons from Girls on the Run

As a coach for Girls on the Run, Kelly reflects on what mentoring young girls taught her about confidence, community, and purpose—and how those same lessons show up in the workplace.