Kate Maxwell is the Chief Technology Officer for Worldwide Defense & Intelligence at Microsoft, where she delivers on Microsoft’s mission to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more.

Maxwell is an accomplished technology leader and strategist with almost 20 years of experience supporting allied Defense & Intelligence customers around the world. She has expertise in Public Sector digital transformation, unmanned systems, and innovation leadership, and is a sought-after public speaker, author, and innovator. Maxwell holds two patents and speaks regularly on keynote stages and in conference proceedings both domestically and abroad.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Maxwell held various technical and engineering leadership roles within Raytheon Intelligence & Space, including Technical Director of the Navigation & Modernization Solutions product line ($2.4B), Chief Engineer of the Product Support business ($700M), and Founding Director of the Raytheon Innovation Center – a global corporate innovation engine that inspires and empowers employees to innovate, across all levels and functions.

Maxwell is a passionate advocate for STEM and a diversity & inclusion thought leader in the tech community. She serves on the Board of Directors for TechPoint Foundation for Youth, an Indiana-based non-profit connecting underprivileged youth with opportunities in STEM, as well as TechPoint, an organization focused on growing the Indiana tech ecosystem. She also launched the annual Maxwell Scholarship for Women in Computing and Engineering at her high school alma mater.

Maxwell was named #1 of the “Top 100 Women in Tech” by Technology Magazine in 2023, and one of “100 Women in Tech Leaders to Watch” by WomenTech in 2022 & 2023. She was honored as the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) Tech Executive of the Year in 2022, was a Forty Under 40 recipient in 2021, and a Woman of Influence in 2019. Kate is active in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and is a two-time national award winner.

Maxwell holds a Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering from George Mason University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown. She is an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys skiing, paddle boarding, traveling, and finding adventure wherever life takes her.

Kate Maxwell is a Keynote Speaker at the Indy Women in Tech Summit, a partnering event with Rally.