Gordon Mackenzie

Gordon MacKenzie (1940–1999) was an American creative leader and author best known for his 1996 book “Orbiting the Giant Hairball,” an unconventional guide to navigating bureaucracy while preserving imagination. After more than three decades at Hallmark Cards, he worked as an illustrator, product developer, and later as the company’s first Creative Paradox, a role he shaped to help employees escape rigid corporate habits. In the mid-1990s he became a sought-after speaker and workshop facilitator, blending storytelling, drawing, and improvisational exercises. MacKenzie completed his book in Kansas City, where he continued consulting until his death in 1999.