Kristen Adams is a Managing Director with Teneo’s Executive Coaching team, based in New York.
Kristen is an Emmy Award–winning journalist and strategic communications advisor who helps senior leaders translate complexity into clarity at moments of high stakes and transformation. With a career spanning newsrooms and boardrooms, she brings a journalist’s rigor and storyteller’s instinct to executive messaging, thought leadership and organizational alignment.
Before joining Teneo, Kristen held senior leadership roles at Cognizant, where she advised C-suite executives across consulting, technology and digital experience businesses. As Chief Storyteller and Creative Director for Cognizant Greenlight and later as AVP for Cognizant Consulting and Cognizant Moment, she shaped narratives for major enterprise initiatives and large-scale client engagements, including deals exceeding $100 million. Her work helped leaders articulate strategy, innovation and AI-driven transformation to clients, investors and internal teams.
Kristen began her career as a producer, writer and interviewer for ABC News and NBC News, contributing to programs including Primetime, Good Morning America and NBC Nightly News. She covered some of the most consequential events of our time – from 9/11 and presidential elections to international conflict – and conducted high-profile interviews with global leaders and cultural figures. Her reporting has been recognized by News & Documentary Emmy, duPont-Columbia and GLAAD awards.
She is also the founder of a documentary media company, producing award-winning long-form content for organizations including Sesame Workshop, Amnesty International and national health advocacy groups.
Kristen holds a BA in English from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and is on the advisory board of Columbia University’s National Multiple Sclerosis Brain Bank.