Charles Drayton is Digital Contact Center Platform Lead for the Community Experiences Team (CxT) at Microsoft. The CxT is responsible for telling the Microsoft story through keynotes, videos, events, demos, and customer engagements. Prior to joining the CxT, Charles was the Chief Technical Architect and Worldwide Healthcare & Life Sciences Lead at the Microsoft Technology Center (MTC) in Chicago, Illinois. The MTC is comprised of 50 facilities worldwide that provide specialty consulting to help customers achieve more through innovation. Charles is the creator and designer of the Intelligent Healthcare Experience, which is the largest showcase of healthcare technology anywhere at Microsoft. Learn more about the MTC at www.microsoft.com/mtc and the Intelligent Healthcare Experience at http://aka.ms/mtchealth.
Charles has an extensive background in retail, manufacturing, and healthcare, having designed or implemented a wide variety of systems for some of the world’s largest organizations. Prior to joining Microsoft, Charles was one of the founding members of the Chicago Healthcare and Life Sciences team at Salesforce where he served as a thought leader for providers, payers, medical device companies and pharmaceutical organizations.
Charles is a featured speaker, having given keynote addresses or been a member of panels for such organizations as Protiviti’s Executive Leadership Summit, TrilogyEd, DePaul University, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, Executives’ Club of Chicago and the City of Chicago. With an educational background in organizational behavior, sociology and technology, he frequently represents Microsoft on technology ethics committees and AI panels. During his tenure as the Chief Technical Architect, he deepened ties between Microsoft and the community, forging partnerships with organizations such as After School Matters, Digital Adventures, and various NPOs that seek to provide opportunities to disadvantaged and at-risk communities through training programs, showcases and community events.
In addition to his work at Microsoft, Charles is a member of the board of directors at the Midwest chapter of the American Diabetes Association. He is an assistant instructor at Northwestern University, teaching Technology Ethics and Organizational Change Management and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Healthcare Analytics and Artificial Intelligence at Northwestern University. He has published multiple studies and research papers.
A passionate foodie, Charles was a featured guest on the Emmy Award winning show Check, Please! and has never ceased in his quest for the world’s best barbecue. Connect with Charles on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/chdrayto.
