Kristen Richardson is a Senior Director, Analyst in Gartner’s Global CIO Practice, specializing in transformative artificial intelligence (AI). She helps CIOs, executive teams, and boards move from evaluation to experimentation and on to enterprise‑scale AI portfolios. She advises on differentiating AI value realization, C‑suite adoption frameworks, board governance and evaluation, AI portfolio structuring, and scalable innovation incubation models. Ms. Richardson has expertise in helping enterprises identify business opportunities from emerging technologies and in the best practices required to make them successful.
Prior to Gartner, Ms. Richardson served as Senior Vice President for Strategy, Product, and Innovation. She has more than 20 years’ experience leading transformation, growth strategy, and emerging‑technology programs for Fortune 500 companies. She led practice teams that drove innovation strategy, AI product development, and market expansion, advising C‑suite and board stakeholders. Ms. Richardson designed and ran innovation labs that accelerated new revenue streams, improved customer experience, and modernized operating models—transitioning pilots into production. Additional expertise includes design thinking, e‑commerce, customer experience (CX), ecosystem planning, and portfolio management. Her experience spans automotive, pharmaceutical, education, chemical, and healthcare sectors.
Doner Partner Network, SVP Product, Innovation and Transformation, 1 years
MRM, SVP Product, Innovation and Transformation, 11 years
General Motors, Global Product Manager, Connected Apps and Content, 3 years
Marketing and Advertising Agencies, Strategy & Account Leadership, 16 years
Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration, Wayne State University