Hayden Brown is president and CEO of Upwork. Before being named CEO in January 2020, Hayden held leadership roles at Upwork in both product and marketing. Having been at Upwork since 2011, she is known for bold leadership and her passion for the company’s mission to create economic opportunities so that people live better lives. That passion stems from her childhood years spent living in Kathmandu, Nepal, and she’s committed to building a sustainable, high-performing business that delivers on that mission in ever-bigger ways.
Prior to becoming CEO, Hayden was Upwork’s chief marketing and product officer. In this role, she led the expansion of Upwork’s offerings to attract and serve sophisticated business buyers who could significantly benefit from Upwork’s global pool of talent.
Before joining Upwork, Hayden led corporate development for LivePerson and held strategy and corporate development roles at Microsoft. She began her career as an analyst at McKinsey and Company after earning an A.B. in politics from Princeton University. She has been named to Staffing Industry Analysts’ “40 Under 40” and “Global Power 150—Women in Staffing.” Hayden is married with two children.