SENIOR CONSULTANT

CTO CHANGE MANAGEMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION, GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS

IRVING TX

Malinda Crosby Centeno is a creative‑minded communications and change leader who helps global technology organizations tell clearer stories and move people to action. Partnering with CTOs, C‑suite leaders, and cross‑functional teams, she translates complex strategies, spanning data, analytics, AI/ML, and enterprise architecture, into human‑centered narratives that employees can understand, trust, and adopt.

Her practice sits at the intersection of design, behavior, and business outcomes: internal campaigns, executive narratives, and multi‑channel content that make transformation feel accessible and participatory. She brings depth across change frameworks and measurement, ensuring every creative decision is grounded in purpose, accessibility, and evidence, not trend for trend’s sake.

Malinda holds a B.S. in International Business and is pursuing a master’s in Strategic Communications & Innovation, pairing business fluency with modern communication strategy.  Known for simplifying complexity and building inclusive employee experiences, she champions creative systems that scale across channels while preserving clarity and brand integrity.

Beyond work, Malinda is passionate about service, mentorship, and community connection. She supports a wide range of volunteer efforts, from food insecurity and family support services to youth programs, and workplace giving and engagement campaigns. These experiences deepen her commitment to using communication as a unifying force: bringing people together across backgrounds, disciplines, and lived experiences to create positive, lasting change. They reinforce her belief that effective storytelling doesn’t just inform, it builds trust, strengthens communities, and helps people see themselves as part of something meaningful.

Between now and 2030, which specific skills, technologies, or priorities will matter most in shaping the future of graphic design?

Human–AI co‑creation, accessibility‑by‑design, and evidence‑based storytelling will define impact. Designers will pair AI tooling with editorial judgment to accelerate exploration while safeguarding ethics and originality. Systems thinking, design that flexes across products, cultures, and moments, will outweigh one‑off deliverables. Finally, fluency in data and behavior change will be table stakes: the future favors creative leaders who can prove that design not only looks right, but works, shaping decisions, reducing friction, and driving adoption at scale.

What trend do you think the industry is overvaluing – and one it’s overlooking?

Overvalued: novelty for novelty’s sake, flashy, AI‑generated aesthetics that ignore comprehension, accessibility, and trust. Overlooked: the unglamorous craft of strategic communication design, message architecture, content design, and governance that keep brands coherent across torrents of change. The work that wins long‑term is insight‑led and measurable: creative systems that clarify choices, guide behavior, and make transformation feel achievable for real people inside real workplaces.