Three things I learned in a week at Microsoft

What a week – I finally arrived in Zurich last Sunday. In the evening, I went for a walk at the lake. People were sitting by the water, enjoying the sun. Although I know the city well from numerous previous visits, this time everything felt different. This time, I came here to stay. And now I am writing the beginning of this #NewChapter as the Country General Manager of Microsoft Switzerland.

Arriving in a new role in a new company after 28 years at another one is a challenge that I chose. Some colleagues mentioned that joining this company feels like drinking from a fire hose – and they weren’t joking. Even though I know Microsoft well from my times partnering with them in my previous role, there are yet many unknows to me. Therefore, I’m grateful for all the support my colleagues have given me to control that figurative water jet, that flow of information. I have always learned the most from the people I work with, and this time will be no different.

What really struck me once I stepped through the door, was the sheer breadth and depth that Microsoft operates at. It did not come as a surprise, but it is different once you look at it from an other perspective. I am deeply impressed by the variety of the technology, the intensity it is used at and the expertise of my colleagues in empowering Swiss organizations each day through it. Even though I see myself as tech-savvy, there is a lot to learn in this space.

The second thing I quickly became aware of, was the fact that a successful project is driven by a trinity: the customer, the partner and Microsoft. Naturally, this symbiosis adds layers of complexity, but also value to the projects. This is what makes Microsoft unique.

And at last, but not least, trust comes up in every conversation. In my preparation for this role I came across a campaign the company was running: “Microsoft runs on Trust.” After just a week, I can fully confirm this to be true. And for someone who has always relied on trust in my work, this was a relief to see.

This is the first page of this #NewChapter. In the future, I will share my weekly thoughts on all kinds of topics, reaching from cloud, trust, hybrid work to education, sustainability, and diversity. This won’t be a personal diary, but much rather a platform to share my learnings tied with my previous experiences as a way to start conversations. So, I pose to you the same question I have asked myself: What have you learned this week?