"How did they do that? How did they get there?" Companies succeed because of the people who build them - operating leaders who scale businesses to new heights and make decisions every day that can impact entire industries. Our Operator Spotlight gives you the inside track from one of our incredible operator Limited Partners (LPs) who are changing the game and operating some of the world's most successful companies. Read on for lessons learned and mistakes made, perspectives from the top, practical advice, and ideas on what's next.
Suzanne Philion is a longtime company leader and the first Chief Marketing Officer at Waymo, the autonomous driving technology company and, we're proud to say, a company in the Operator Collective portfolio. Suzanne joined Waymo in 2018 to lead communications ahead of the public launch of Waymo One and now oversees global brand strategy, growth marketing, communications, and public affairs, championing Waymo’s mission to build the world’s most trusted driver. Before Waymo, she held executive comms roles at Yahoo and Verizon Media, and spent over a decade as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State, with postings including the U.S. Mission to NATO and the U.S. Embassy in Bogota. She holds a B.A. from Binghamton University and an M.A. from Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service.
You joined Waymo in 2018, right before Waymo One went from a trusted-tester program to a public service. Building a marketing and comms function for a technology that had no established playbook is a different job than joining an established category. What did you have to figure out from scratch?
When you're creating a category, you can’t just rely on traditional marketing funnels. In 2018, our biggest challenge was bridging the gap between sci-fi perception and real-world utility. We had to figure out how to translate cutting-edge AI into an everyday experience that felt safe and welcoming. That meant treating every early ride as an active conversation with our riders and communities.
What’s changed in how you’re thinking about continuing to build out your marketing, comms, and public affairs teams - what kinds of new roles and shifts in structure have emerged with AI? How has your org shifted?
We encourage our team to constantly explore and integrate AI tools into our everyday workflows, and it has driven significant efficiencies and speed across marketing and comms. But at Waymo, because we’re building technology that directly touches people's everyday lives, it’s critical to always showcase the "human behind the robot." That principle shapes everything we do: from hiring super talented people who bring deep empathy to technical topics, to how our cross-functional teams collaborate, to how we design rider campaigns that lead with human stories. While AI is definitely elevating how we work, we are keeping human connection and trust at the heart of our brand.
A lot of marketing is about building preference. Yours has to build something more foundational first: trust in a brand-new way to get around. How do you think about earning that, and how has your approach changed as the technology and the public's familiarity with it have both matured?
For our team at Waymo, trust is built mile by mile, ride by ride. Early on, earning trust was about demystifying the technology and proving safety metrics. As Waymo has become a normal part of daily life in cities like San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, our focus has evolved from ‘Is it safe?’ to ‘How does this seamlessly fit into and improve my day?’ We’re seeing trust grow exponentially with our riders as magic turns into habit.
There's a major shift underway where brands need to be understandable not just to people, but to the AI systems that increasingly mediate discovery. What does that mean for a brand like Waymo, where a huge part of the job is still just teaching people what the product even is?
Whether a human is searching for a ride or an AI agent is routing a passenger’s morning, transparency wins. For Waymo, being "understandable" to AI means publishing unambiguous safety and operational data across the web—like our Safety Data Hub, which we refresh regularly. Across more than 220 million fully autonomous miles, the data clearly demonstrates how we make roads safer. AI systems prioritize verifiable, first-hand data, making that transparency critical to how our brand is surfaced. That said, human connection still reigns: an AI might recommend the ride, but the peace of mind inside a Waymo is what creates lifelong advocates.
More players are entering the robotaxi and autonomous driving space. As the category gets more crowded, how do you think about what makes Waymo's brand identity distinct, and what does "owning" a category mean to you as a marketer?
You don't own a category by shouting loudest; you own it by building the gold standard. That’s particularly true in a highly-regulated space where safety and trust are non-negotiable. As new players enter the market, what makes Waymo distinct is our unmatched operational experience, our safety discipline, and the delight of the rider experience. Category ownership means offering the definitive answer to autonomous mobility.
You spent over a decade as a Foreign Service Officer before you ever worked in tech. What from that chapter shows up in how you lead marketing today?
Diplomacy taught me that every room, every city, every country has multiple perspectives, and listening is your strongest tool. Whether negotiating at NATO or engaging local community leaders in a new city before a Waymo rollout, success comes down to respect, empathy, and clear alignment on shared values. Tech moves fast, but human relationships and trust still operate on foundational diplomatic principles.
What was one of your very first jobs and one big lesson you learned?
My very first assignment in the Foreign Service was at NATO in 2003, right as the U.S. entered Iraq. It was an incredibly complex, high-stakes environment as we navigated delicate relationships with our allies, handled intense media scrutiny, and addressed deep public skepticism. What that experience taught me early on is that when tensions are high and topics are complex, a transparent, fact-based approach to relationship building always wins. Whether you're working with international partners or introducing fully autonomous driving to local communities, honest communication builds the strongest, most enduring trust.
What's your secret superpower?
Calm under pressure. Spending ten years in foreign service—with postings from NATO to Bogotá and Tunis—instills a deep appreciation for nuance and steady focus. When you've seen complex human and political dynamics firsthand, it softens your response to high-pressure moments. It doesn't mean I have all the answers, but it helps me bring a measured approach to work, and help the team focus on the big picture. My goal is to keep us grounded through new market expansions, regulatory dialogues, and the daily surprises of building a brand-new industry.
What's a piece of advice you would give to yourself 10 years ago, if you had the opportunity?
Trust the non-linear path. The skills you build in unexpected places will become your greatest edge. Lean into ambiguity…that’s where growth happens.
