Kristen Cavallo

Meet our #CMCamino speaker, Kristen Cavallo: Executive Director of The Branch Museum of Design, Virginia Business Person of the Year (2023), and former CEO of MullenLowe Global and The Martin Agency.

Kristen Cavallo is a global leader in branding and advertising. A dynamic speaker, she is known for driving transformational growth, developing leaders, and defending the integrity of original creative ideas.

Under Kristen’s leadership, The Martin Agency grew 50 percent in five years, earning U.S. Agency of the Year honors from Adweek and Ad Age and a place on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list. During this period, her teams were recognized for leadership across creative, PR, new business and talent, and Kristen was named Virginia Businessperson of the Year.

She simultaneously served as Global CEO of MullenLowe, where she led a rebrand uniting a 55-office global network. The work earned three Cannes Lions in 2024, including a Gold for Best Agency Rebrand/Refresh.

After retiring from the ad industry, Kristen became Executive Director of The Branch Museum of Design, Virginia’s only design museum. Since joining The Branch, she has led a strategic transformation of the institution, positioning it on a national stage.

She and her team have overseen a full rebrand, expanded exhibitions and partnerships, and strengthened the museum’s role as a place where design shifts perspectives and engages the questions shaping our time.

From global agencies to cultural institutions, Kristen’s camino has been one of reinvention, leadership, and belief in the power of creativity to move people forward.

Join us for this conversation and stay connected to the her journey at The Branch at branchmuseum.org.