New opportunity, new learnings - my new role at Microsoft leading the Small, Medium and Corporate businesses for Microsoft Asia

It’s hard to believe next month I will be celebrating 25 years with Microsoft. I’m excited to share that in addition to my 25th milestone, I’ll be starting a new chapter in my career as Vice President, leading Microsoft’s Small, Medium and Corporate (SMC) Asia team.

For Day 1 of this announcement, I was thankful to be with the Asia Leadership Team in Korea. I have so much to learn from others and I am thrilled to be leading the most dynamics growth customer segment and one of the most diverse teams for Microsoft Asia.

This new leadership position is a tremendous opportunity. Our small and medium business customers and partners fuel the economy of Asia. Not only do they employee tens of millions of citizens but they deliver technology innovation that empowers their customers and employees to achieve more. I am inspired by the impact we can have on ‘000s of customers and when I reflect on it, this has been a feature in my career at Microsoft - it gives me great passion and energy. I couldn't be more excited to be leading this great team.

In the past three years, I’ve been fortunate to work with partners in Australia and New Zealand and experience first-hand the support they’re extending to ANZ businesses on the latest technological trends. The stories shared recently in the Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards announcements of how technology is driving real impact and creating solutions that deliver meaningful, accessible, inclusive, and sustainable solutions reinforce my passion for Microsoft.

In my experience, deeply engaging in market challenges and synthesizing it back to the business community with powerful conversations on digital transformation, challenges and motivations will facilitate change and more accurately monetise market opportunities.

The underlying foundation to start a successful modern ecosystem often consists of:

·??????Collaboration underpins the Microsoft partner ecosystem, and it also starts internally at Microsoft. The Microsoft ANZ Senior Leadership Team have directly contributed to the success of our managed partners. Personal connection, honest conversations, deep listening have influenced the behaviours in our partner ecosystem and tied to its success. Next week, the executive team and I will be celebrating with 14 ANZ Partner of the Year winners and finalists in Sydney and soon after extending that celebration globally at Microsoft Inspire on July 20-21. It’s incredible to share this year that we received 206 Partner of the Year entries and I want to emphasise the awards are just as much about partner impact as it is about collaboration with the Microsoft team.

·??????Data centricity is where creativity surfaces. While ‘data don’t lie’, it may not always share the whole picture and I’m inspired by the progress we’ve made with Partner Centre all geared to continue to improve the partner experience. The data is so insightful in matching seller-to-seller and how we think about future leadership trends. The willingness of partners to track performance also helps improve both their business and the ongoing partnership.

·??????Standing for something greater than ourselves, acting and creating change. Our steps forward in diversity and inclusion is what I’m most proud of. Together, we’ve made an industry-wide improvement especially with Champions of Change – Microsoft Partners who’ve increased women in leadership roles, expanding and improving inclusive work practices, and creating diversity and inclusion strategies to benefit all their 10,000+ employees. Thousands of people put their trust in us to have important and complex conversations in a safe environment. This year, we’ve also invested directly into the community of women in tech with over 2000 women and male managers joining the Women Rising program. There is no competition when we are getting behind something so meaningful and transformative for future generations.

I would like I close this chapter and FY22 with deep gratitude for your partnership and extend my warmest wishes to Vanessa Sorensen who will lead our partner business in Australia and New Zealand.

I’m look forward to sharing future learnings from our Microsoft businesses across China, Japan, India, Korea, Asia-Pacific, and of course Australia and New Zealand. Thank you and stay tuned!