40 years at Microsoft

40 years ago, I walked into a building in a suburb of Paris. I was about to start a new job, working for a company called 微软 . I was excited about the opportunity. Back in 1984, the company had around a thousand employees worldwide. It was still really a startup. But it was already making an impact. I thought that by joining the business, I could make an impact, too.??

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Today, I’m reflecting on how I have been truly privileged to live at the epicentre of our industry over the past four decades. I’ve witnessed the birth of the personal computer, the rise of internet, the beginning of our enterprise business with client server, the explosion of mobile and cloud computing all the way to the AI era today.

From MS-DOS, Multiplan, Flight Simulator, Basic, Internet Explorer, Lan Manager, SQL Server, VB, Office, Xbox, Windows Phone, Azure, Dynamics, M365, to Copilot... it’s been a blast to sell all our products over 40 years of my life. And I have learnt so much from tens of thousands of our customers, partners, governments, travelling the world and getting to know more than 110 countries.?

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But at the heart of everything and the reason I’ve stayed for 40 years, are Microsoft’s people, its culture and its leaders. They are something very special. I have worked with so many amazing individuals and teams over the years. I’ve had the honor to lead in France, in Redmond-WA (where Microsoft has its Headquarters), across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and North America. And of course, I’ve served under three exceptional people: our founder Bill Gates and two CEOs of our company: Steve Ballmer and my current manager, Satya Nadella .?

Every single person I have met has made me a better manager, a better coach and a better leader. And that’s why it’s important to me to share what I’ve learned. It’s also vital for me to keep learning from others, every single day. Whether I am talking with our early in career Aspire cohorts, or coaching Microsoft’s senior talents; whether I am being inspired by impact entrepreneurs solving some of our biggest challenges, or having conversations with some of the world’s most successful positive leaders on my Positive Leadership podcast, I know that true success comes from a growth mindset – which enabled me to successfully transform Microsoft’s sales organization but also to be vulnerable and open when coached live on stage in front of thousands of managers - and focusing on having a positive impact on others and the world.

As many of you know who follow me on LinkedIn, or who have worked with me, I have been always deeply convinced that “with great power comes great responsibility.” Day in and day out, businesses need to earn the permission to operate. They need to build and nurture a deep trusted partnership one customer and one country at a time. This is especially true of big tech companies right now but it’s something everyone running a commercial organization must have as a North Star. And as long as we at Microsoft continue to honour this ‘trust license’, then we earn the right to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.?

I know that spending 40 years in one company is exceptional. Times have changed. There are different challenges and opportunities ahead. But a new generation of entrepreneurial leaders has emerged around the world and they are using business as a powerful force for good, to benefit people and the planet, as well as creating profits. It’s why I created Microsoft's Entrepreneurship for Positive Impact , which now has a vibrant ecosystem of 1,600 impact startups and why, alongside my family, our foundation Live for Good empowers youth in France to create a positive impact through entrepreneurship and the development of businesses solving some of our biggest challenges. I believe that Microsoft has always been and remains a special place where people from all different backgrounds can show up as their authentic selves, find their purpose and achieve a positive impact in the world.??

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I love this company so much. J’aime tellement celle enterprise.

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