MICROSOFT WORLD PARTNER CONFERENCE IN TORONTO 2012'S KEYNOTE SPEAKERS






Perspective. Viewpoints. Outlook. Our keynote speakers have it all.

















Vision Keynotes




Monday, July 9, 2012, 9:00–11:00 A.M.




Code: VIS01






Speaker: Steve Ballmer, Chief Executive Officer, Microsoft Corporation

Title: Entering the New Era

Bio: Steven A. Ballmer is chief executive officer of Microsoft Corporation, the world’s leading manufacturer of software for personal and business computing. Ballmer joined Microsoft in 1980 and was the first business manager hired by Bill Gates. Since then, Ballmer’s leadership and passion have become hallmarks of his tenure at the company.

Ballmer and the company’s business and technical leaders are focused on continuing Microsoft innovation and leadership across the company’s core businesses. The goal of Microsoft is to provide an integrated platform to enable a seamless experience across a wide range of computing and non-PC devices and services.

Variously described as ebullient, focused, funny, passionate, sincere, hard-charging, and dynamic, Ballmer has infused Microsoft with his own brand of energetic leadership, vision, and spirit over the years.

Ballmer was born in March 1956, and grew up near Detroit, where his father worked as a manager at economics. While in college, Ballmer managed the football team, worked on the Harvard Crimson newspaper as well as the university literary magazine, and lived down the hall from fellow sophomore Bill Gates. After college, he worked for two years at Procter & Gamble Co. as an assistant product manager and, before joining Microsoft, attended Stanford University Graduate School of Business.




Tami Reller

Speaker: Tami Reller, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Marketing Officer of the Windows and Windows Live division

Title: Lighting Up Windows 8​

Bio: Over the course of her career, Tami Reller has held a variety of leadership roles in marketing, finance, sales and general management.

In her current role as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Marketing Officer of the Windows and Windows Live division, Reller is responsible for the financial performance and global marketing of Windows.
Prior to joining Windows in 2007, Reller held leadership positions within the Microsoft Dynamics division.

Reller began her career in technology at Great Plains Software in 1984, while still in college. She held a number of leadership positions within the company including CFO, a position she held at the time of the successful acquisition of Great Plains Software by Microsoft in 2001.

A native of Grand Forks, North Dakota, Reller earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Minnesota State University Moorhead and a Master of Business Administration from St. Mary's College in Moraga, California.


Speaker: Kurt DelBene, President, Microsoft Office Division
Title: Partners in Productivity
Bio: As president of the Microsoft Office Division, Kurt DelBene is responsible for driving global Microsoft productivity strategy for information workers. DelBene oversees the engineering and marketing functions for a wide range of productivity products and services, including Office, Office 365, Exchange, SharePoint, Lync, Project, and Visio.
Previously, he served as the senior vice president for the Microsoft Business Division, responsible for the development of client and server software that collectively delivers to organizations and individuals a holistic productivity experience, including authoring, collaboration, communications, information sharing, and project management. In this role, he oversaw development teams in the Office engineering organization including Office desktop applications, Office Web Applications, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Office Communications Server, and Office Labs.
DelBene joined Microsoft in 1992 and has served in several roles in Microsoft product development teams. He served as vice president of Authoring and Collaboration Services, responsible for the development of Office document and webpage authoring and collaboration products. He also served as the general manager of Microsoft Outlook, the Microsoft messaging and personal-information-management application. He has also served as group program manager for Microsoft Exchange, responsible for the Microsoft Exchange client and Schedule+, and group manager in the Microsoft Systems Division, responsible for fax and embedded systems software.
Prior to joining Microsoft, DelBene was a management consultant with McKinsey and Company, focusing on business strategy for technology companies. He has also worked as a software developer and systems engineer for AT&T Bell Laboratories, working in graphics and imaging software and network switching systems.
DelBene holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago, a Master of Science from Stanford University, and a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from the University of Arizona.




Tuesday, July 10, 2012, 9:00–11:00 A.M.




Code: VIS02






Speaker: Satya Nadella, President, Server and Tools Business, Microsoft Corporation

Title: Transforming IT with Services and Connected Devices

Bio:As president of the Servers and Tools Business (STB) at Microsoft, Satya Nadella is accountable for the overall business and technical vision, strategy, operations, engineering, and marketing for this $15 billion Microsoft business. STB is responsible for Microsoft infrastructure software, developer tools, and cloud platform, including products such as Windows Server, SQL Server, Visual Studio, System Center, and the Windows Azure platform.

Nadella and his team are tasked with leading Microsoft enterprise transformation into the cloud and providing the technology roadmap and vision for the future of business computing, while helping our customers and partners make the transition to the cloud platform by providing the necessary solutions, services, and tools. Focusing on IT professionals and developers, STB is also chartered with providing the Microsoft enterprise technology roadmap for the company’s largest customers and industry partners worldwide, to address some of their most challenging business and computing needs.

Previously, he was senior vice president of R&D for the Online Services Division, which includes the Search (Bing), Portal (MSN), and Advertising platforms. In that role, Nadella was responsible for the technical vision and engineering of some of the largest web services and cloud infrastructure on the planet, serving hundreds of millions of customers each day around the world, as well as providing advertisers with a scale search and display platform to connect with customers and grow their businesses.

Nadella joined Microsoft in 1992. Prior to joining the Online Services Division, he led Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS), which develops and markets the Microsoft Dynamics line of ERP and CRM products. Prior to that, he spent several years leading engineering efforts in the Microsoft Server group. Before joining Microsoft, Nadella was a member of the technology staff at Sun Microsystems Inc.

A native of Hyderabad (India), Nadella has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Mangalore University, a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin, and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He and his wife have three children and reside in Washington state.




Speaker: Kirill Tatarinov, President, Microsoft Business Solutions Division

Title: Building Your Business with Microsoft Business Solutions

Bio: Kirill Tatarinov is president of the Microsoft Business Solutions Division (MBS) with responsibility for MBS research, development, sales, marketing, and operations. MBS develops and markets a portfolio of Microsoft Dynamics products and services covering a broad range of functions including financial, customer relationship, and supply chain management (ERP and CRM) that bring simplicity, value, and agility to organizations of all sizes. MBS also includes the Microsoft Health Solutions Group, which develops, sells, and supports software solutions for improving the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery and empowering individuals to become more engaged in their own health and wellness.

Prior to joining MBS in 2007, Tatarinov led the Management and Solutions Division at Microsoft, where he was in charge of the Windows management technologies and products, including Microsoft System Center, Systems Management Server, Microsoft Operations Manager, and Microsoft Application Center, as well as Windows Server solutions, including Microsoft Small Business Server.

Tatarinov joined Microsoft in 2002 with 15 years of experience in the software industry. Before joining Microsoft, he was senior vice president and chief technology officer for BMC Software Inc. While at BMC he also had responsibility for corporate development and the Patrol Software business. Before that, Tatarinov was cofounder, chief architect, and head of R&D for Patrol acquired by BMC in 1994. Before cofounding Patrol Software, Tatarinov worked in several systems, networking, and consulting companies in Russia, Israel, and Australia.

In January 2002, Computerworld named Tatarinov one of the business world’s 2002 Premier 100 IT Leaders. This award honors individuals who have had a positive impact on their organizations through the use of technology

Tatarinov grew up in Moscow, Russia, and holds a master’s diploma in systems engineering from Moscow University of Transport Engineering (MIIT) and an MBA from Houston Baptist University. He serves on the Seattle advisory council of the US Fund for UNICEF, whose mission is to help the world's children.

Tatarinov lives in the Seattle area with his family. Outside work, he spends his time skiing and is a Level-1 ski instructor, certified by the Professional Ski Instructors of America.




Speaker: Brad Smith, General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs
Title: Our National Plans: Our Time to Do Right
Bio: Brad Smith is Microsoft's general counsel and executive vice president, Legal and Corporate Affairs. He leads the company's Department of Legal and Corporate Affairs (LCA), which has just over 1,000 employees and is responsible for the company's legal work, its intellectual property portfolio and patent licensing business, and its government affairs and philanthropic work. He also serves as Microsoft's corporate secretary and its chief compliance officer.
Since becoming general counsel in 2002, Smith has overseen numerous negotiations leading to competition law and intellectual property agreements with governments around the world and with companies across the IT sector. He has helped spearhead the growth in the company's intellectual property portfolio and the launch of global campaigns to bring enforcement actions against those engaged in software piracy and counterfeiting, malware, consumer fraud, and other digital crimes. As software has migrated online and into a computing "cloud," one of LCA's current principal goals is to help establish the legal foundation for this next generation of technology.
Smith has played a central role in ensuring that Microsoft fulfills its corporate responsibilities. In recent years Microsoft has consistently ranked in the top 2 percent of the S&P 500 for corporate governance scores. During Smith's tenure, the company's citizenship programs have reached almost 300 million people in 120 countries through technology training programs that help individuals develop the skills needed to obtain jobs. Smith has also helped advance several significant diversity and pro bono initiatives, both within Microsoft and in the broader legal profession. He currently co-chairs the board of directors of Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) and serves as chair of the Pipeline Committee of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.
Smith also serves as Microsoft's senior executive responsible for the company's corporate citizenship in Washington State. He has served as chair of the Washington Roundtable, a leading Washington state-based business organization. In 2010 he chaired for Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire her Higher Education Funding Task Force, and in 2011 he helped advocate for the successful adoption by the legislature of the Task Force's recommendations, including tuition-setting authority and increased accountability for the state's public universities and for the nation's first private-public funded endowment to enable more students to attend college. During the past year, Smith and his wife, Kathy Surace-Smith, co-chaired the annual campaign for the United Way of King County, the country's largest United Way campaign.
Before joining Microsoft in 1993, Smith was a partner at Covington & Burling, having worked in the firm's Washington, D.C., and London offices. He graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University and received his law degree at the Columbia University School of Law. He also studied international law and economics at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.

Smith has written numerous articles and commentaries regarding international intellectual property and Internet policy issues, and has served as a lecturer at The Hague Academy of International Law.




Speaker: Laura Ipsen, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Public Sector, Microsoft Corporation

Title: Our National Plans: Our Time to Do Right

Bio: Laura K. Ipsen is corporate vice president of the Microsoft Worldwide Public Sector organization, leading a team of more than 1,900 sales and marketing professionals serving government, public safety and national security, education, and non-privatized healthcare customers in more than 100 countries. In this role, Ipsen oversees the work of Microsoft in providing innovative technology solutions and forward-thinking programs to help public sector organizations provide efficient and effective public services to their citizens and build the capacity of their populations.

Ipsen assumed her current position in February 2012. Prior to joining Microsoft, Ipsen served as senior vice president and general manager of Connected Energy Networks at Cisco, where she led the effort to use the network as the platform to transform how the world manages its energy and environmental challenges. Ipsen led the Connected Women’s Advisory Group and was also the cochair of Cisco’s EcoBoard, which oversees Cisco’s comprehensive sustainability strategy and guides its efforts to use information technology in addressing environmental concerns and climate change.

Previously, Ipsen established and managed Cisco’s Global Policy and Government Affairs division for 13 years and was responsible for developing Cisco’s public policy agenda and advancing governmental policies in support of broadband and IP-based technologies.

Ipsen began her career in international trade and government affairs for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Washington, D.C. She also held positions at Acer and Hitachi Data Systems. Ipsen currently serves on the boards of Monsanto and the GridWise Alliance. She is the past chair of the board of the Information Technology Industry Council and has received numerous awards and recognition for her work in information and communications technology, sustainability, and gender diversity.

Ipsen holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Virginia and studied Arabic at Yarmouk University in Jordan. She currently resides in Northern California with her husband and three children. She enjoys art, running, politics, and mentoring.


Thom Gruhler.jpg

Speaker: Charles Thomas Gruhler, Technology Marketing Executive and Branding Strategist

Title: Windows Phone. Delivering excitement on the go

Bio: Thom Gruhler has earned a reputation in the industry as an executive that has the depth of knowledge and has honed the creativity to successfully create a recognizable brand for multibillion-dollar companies. As the corporate vice president of Windows Phone Marketing at Microsoft Corporation, Gruhler leads all advertising, marketing and communications activities for the Windows Phone Division. He works closely with product engineering teams and telecommunications partners to create greater awareness and customer demand for Windows Phone devices, software and services. In this role, he brings the expertise and breadth of experience necessary to align the teams and deliver revolution within the way Windows Phone is viewed in the market.
Prior to Microsoft, Thom served as global managing partner of Telecom & Technology at McCann Worldgroup, driving growth and developing relationships with the largest telecom and technology brands around the world. Gruhler managed the Verizon $1.9 billion account, leading an integrated multidisciplinary team of agencies that developed the iconic “Can you hear me now?” campaign and helped contribute to a period of unprecedented growth and success for Verizon. Previously, as president of McCann Erickson New York, the flagship and largest office of McCann Erickson Worldwide, he also oversaw key clients, including Mastercard, Kohl’s and Sony Ericsson.
Before his tenure at McCann, Gruhler managed global brands such as Barclays, DaimlerChrysler, HP, Hilton and Salomon Smith Barney at other agencies within the Interpublic Group, the holding company parent of McCann Worldwide.
Thom has always been a strong proponent of teamwork within and across agency walls – always making mentoring programs a priority. He established a Reverse Mentoring Program to help young, tech-savvy employees educate their more senior colleagues in the intricacies of digital media and other emerging technology platforms. In November 2008, the AAF (American Advertising Foundation) inducted Thom into its Advertising Hall of Achievement. The AAF Hall of Achievement is the highest industry award for excellence and accomplishment in advertising professionals 40 and under.
Thom is involved in both industry and community activities. He was named Chairman of the Advertising Club of NY in July 2009. He has also served as Chairman of the Account Management Committee of the 4A’s (American Association of Advertising Agencies) since 2006. He has served on the advisory board for the Good Deed Foundation and played an active role in PENCIL in New York, providing hands-on exposure of the advertising business to students of NYC public schools.​




Wednesday, July 11, 2012, 9:00–11:00 A.M.




Code: VIS03






Speaker: Jon Roskill, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Partner Group, Microsoft Corporation

Title: The Vision of MPN

Bio: As head of the Worldwide Partner Group, Jon Roskill is responsible for Microsoft's worldwide channel strategy for the company's commercial products and cloud offerings. In this capacity, Roskill leads a global sales and marketing team comprised of 5,000 employees and Microsoft's 640,000 independently owned-and-operated partner companies, a channel that drives 95% of Microsoft's annual revenue. Roskill leads the effort to activate Microsoft's diverse partner ecosystem, which includes distributors, system integrators, value-added resellers, independent software vendors, and Web application developers, to Microsoft's new cloud offerings.
Prior to assuming his current role, Roskill was corporate vice president for the U.S. Business & Marketing Office (BMO) for Microsoft, North America. In this role, Roskill led the teams responsible for all marketing activities for Microsoft's commercial products (Windows, Microsoft Office, etc.; all product lines except Xbox and MSN/advertising) which collectively generate more than $12 billion of revenue annually. He also managed the team of 80 technical and database analytics professionals who deliver the Microsoft Worldwide Digital Marketing Platform and associated analysis and analytic models. During this tenure, Roskill provided thought leadership and direction to bringing Microsoft's industry-leading Cloud Computing initiatives to market.

Before taking a leadership role in launching Microsoft's U.S. Subsidiary and leading the BMO, Roskill was general manager of Developer and .NET Enterprise Server marketing, where he led a team responsible for the product management and product marketing of industry-leading products such as Microsoft SQL Server database software, Commerce Server, BizTalk Server, and Microsoft Visual Studio.
Prior to beginning his career at Microsoft in 1993, Roskill was a marketing manager at Digital Equipment Corporation, where he worked on projects including the Digital AlphaPC and Digital's Fault Tolerant line of computers, beginning in a role as CPU designer before making the switch from engineering to marketing.
Roskill received his B.S.E.E., summa cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he was also a member of the Eta Kappa Nu honor society. He received his M.B.A. from Boston University. He attended Amherst High School and Northfield Mount Hermon preparatory school, where he lettered in soccer and alpine ski rac
ing.

Roskill is also a leader in Microsoft's community giving efforts, serving on the board of directors of the King County Boys & Girls Clubs for the past two years, and also provides leadership to Microsoft's efforts in corporate sponsorships and marketing.




Speaker: Kevin Turner, Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft Corporation

Title: Competing to Win in the New Era

Bio: As Microsoft chief operating officer, Kevin Turner is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of the company’s worldwide sales, marketing, and services organization. Turner leads a global organization of more than 45,000 employees, including field sales and marketing professionals who delivered more than 69 billion USD in revenue during fiscal year 2011. In addition to driving sales and marketing programs, Turner manages the online advertising sales organization and corporate support organizations, including product and customer support services, branding, advertising, public relations, marketing research, and relationship marketing. Turner also oversees corporate operations and internal information technology that support the work of more than 90,000 Microsoft employees around the world.

In 2009, Turner also led and spearheaded Microsoft entry into the retail stores business and he has global accountability for this newly created business division.

Along with Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer and other senior executives, Turner serves on the Senior Leadership Team that sets the overall strategy and direction for Microsoft.

Prior to Microsoft, Turner worked nearly 20 years at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., where he started as a cashier while going to college. Upon graduating from college he held various leadership positions within Wal-Mart, including most recently as president and chief executive officer of Sam’s Club, with more than 46 million members and more than 37.1 billion USD in annual sales. Before this role, Turner worked for 13 years in Wal-Mart’s IT department, where he reached the level of executive vice president and chief information officer, overseeing all information systems and IT operations for the company worldwide.

In 1995 at the age of 29, Turner became the youngest corporate officer ever named at Wal-Mart and in 1997 while having worldwide responsibility for all application development and support at Wal-Mart, Turner became the recipient of the first Sam M. Walton Entrepreneur of the Year award, which is the highest honor given at Wal-Mart and is determined by the Walton Family.

Turner has also received various selected honors, including TIME Magazine—People to Watch in International Business; FORTUNE Magazine—#4 in Top 10 Most Influential on 40 Under 40; Business 2.0—The 20 Young Execs You Need To Know; 20/20 Vision Award; CIO 100 Award; and in 2007, he was named to the CIO Hall of Fame by CIO Magazine, as well as listed fifth on the CRN Magazine Top 25 Most Innovative Executives. Additionally, Turner serves on the Nordstrom Inc. Board of Directors.

Turner graduated in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science degree in management from East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, where he was also the Distinguished Alumnus in 2003. Turner lives in Bellevue, Washington, with his wife and three children.




Speaker: Deepak Chopra

Title: Leadership, Courage, and the Future of Wellbeing

Bio: As a global leader and pioneer in the field of mind-body medicine, Chopra transforms the way the world views physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellness. A prolific author of more than 64 books, with 19 New York Times best sellers in both the fiction and non-fiction categories, his books have been published in more than 85 languages. His latest New York Times best seller, War of the Worldviews (coauthored with Leonard Mlodinow), has been quoted by Larry King as “one of the more important books to read of the decade.” War of the Worldviews successfully attempts to elevate the conversation around science and religion in a way that is thoughtful and constructive rather than polarizing and divisive. Among his other New York Times best sellers, Peace Is the Way received the Religion and Spirituality Quill Award in 2005, and The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life was awarded the 2005 Nautilus Grand Prize. FINS from The Wall Street Journal mentioned his book, The Soul of Leadership, as one of the five best business books to read for your career. The most recent book, Spiritual Solutions, was released in April 2012.

He is a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and Washington Post On Faith forum and contributes regularly to Oprah.com, Intent.com, and The Huffington Post, and hosts his daily show on BlogTalk Radio called “Deepak Chopra Radio,” which focuses on the areas of success, love, sexuality and relationships, well-being, and spirituality.

Deepak Chopra's popularity as an international presenter and keynote speaker is exemplified in an impressive list of honorariums. Chopra is the recipient of the 2010 GOI Peace Award, 2010 Starlite Humanitarian Award, 2010 Art for Life Honoree, 2009 Oceana Partners Award, 2006 Ellis Island Medal of Honor presented by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations Foundation, 2006 Trailblazer Award by the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, and 2002 Einstein Humanitarian Award through Albert Einstein College of Medicine in collaboration with the American Journal of Psychotherapy. He participates annually as a lecturer at the Update in Internal Medicine event sponsored by Harvard Medical School, Department of Continuing Education, and the Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, since 1997.

Chopra is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, Adjunct Professor of Executive Programs at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Distinguished Scholar, Executive Program at Columbia University, and Senior Scientist with The Gallup Organization.




Value Keynotes




Monday, July 9, 2012, 1:30–2:30 P.M.






Track: Microsoft Dynamics

Title: Microsoft Dynamics: Give Your Everything—Diligence, Dedication, and Drive

Abstract: Microsoft Dynamics provides business applications that are sold, extended, and delivered by partners. Our best partners differentiate themselves through their diligence, dedication, and their drive to be the best in the business. Join Doug Kennedy to learn how to maximize your differentiation by going vertical, embracing the cloud, and achieving scale to grow your business—and hear about key partner program announcements. See how your peers have succeeded against competition and distinguished themselves by adopting to the dynamic nature of the business. Get a glimpse of Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM product momentum from our executives and our vision for the business of the future.




Speaker: Doug Kennedy, Vice President, Microsoft Dynamics Partners and Customer Service Programs

Bio: Doug Kennedy joined Microsoft in March 2008 as vice president of the Microsoft Dynamics Partner organization. In this role, Kennedy is responsible for managing the overall business relationship between Microsoft and Microsoft Dynamics partners. In late November 2009 Kennedy’s role was expanded to include Microsoft Dynamics partner and customer support service programs.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Kennedy worked for Oracle for 17 years, holding various management and executive positions within Alliances and Channels, Field Sales, On Demand, and Oracle’s Enterprise Support Services organization. In his last role at Oracle, Kennedy was Oracle’s senior vice president of Worldwide Alliances and Channels. In this role, he reported to Oracle's president, Charles Phillips, and led the worldwide A&C organization that was responsible for the ongoing development and execution of Oracle’s Alliances and Channel strategies and programs, partner revenue-generating initiatives, and the business models for managing all of Oracle’s 20,000+ partners. Kennedy also held technical and sales positions at IBM, where he worked for eight years prior to joining Oracle.

Kennedy received a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in computing science and business administration from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. He also holds a Diploma of Technology in broadcast communications from the British Columbia Institute of Technology.




Speaker: Dennis Michalis, General Manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: Dennis Michalis is a respected technology industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience growing businesses, defining and aligning technology offerings, and leading global, world-class teams. He is responsible for the Microsoft Dynamics CRM product management group, accountable for setting the long-term business strategy; aligning customers’ needs with product plans; creating and executing marketing strategy, including product positioning, pricing, and packaging; developing channels; and driving revenue for Microsoft Dynamics CRM worldwide.

Before joining Microsoft, Michalis was corporate senior vice president at Infor Global Solutions, where he was responsible for the company’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) cloud business and connecting corporate strategy with field execution, including the launch of a worldwide reseller and distribution model in more than 80 countries. Michalis most recently served as the business development lead at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd.

He has held a variety of senior management roles in organizations, including PRG LLC, an angel fund company for startup and microbusiness ventures in the enterprise technology space; Glovia International Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Ltd. that develops extended ERP and supply chain management solutions; and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Michalis has a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in organizational communications and science with an emphasis on quantitative methods from California State University at Fullerton. He was a mentor at the University of California at Irvine’s Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences and the Extreme Computing Student Product Competition, and he was a member of the Executive Council, Mihaylo College of Business and Economics, California State University at Fullerton.

A native of Southern California, he is an avid waterman, endurance athlete and youth sports coach.




Speaker: Fred Studer, General Manager, Microsoft Dynamics Product Marketing, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: Fred Studer is an accomplished marketing executive with a solid track record in both product and corporate marketing. He is an award-winning presenter with proven ability to understand and communicate complex technology vision and more than 20 years of experience.

As general manager for Microsoft Dynamics Product Marketing, he is responsible for a multifunctional team covering Microsoft Dynamics AX, NAV, GP, and SL with the cumulative revenue accountability for all of these products worldwide. Studer’s team also owns the industry strategy for Microsoft Dynamics including retail, manufacturing, distribution, public sector, and professional services. The core accountability of his team is to define innovative strategies that will change the paradigm of traditional business applications by differentiating the Microsoft Dynamics portfolio on simplicity, value, and agility. Studer and his team have the direct accountability for setting the long-term business strategy across all segments, aligning product plans with R&D and then building and executing the marketing strategy. These responsibilities include product strategy, cloud strategy, channel alignment, customer engagement, sales models, and market evangelism.

Previously, Studer was general manager of the US Information Worker Business. He was responsible for the US subsidiary revenue and P&L performance for Microsoft information worker (IW) products, which is more than 7 billion USD in revenue. These products include Microsoft Office, Project, Visio, SharePoint, Office Live, Outlook, Exchange, Office Communication Server, and the IW cloud computing services of Microsoft Online. Focused on driving growth, Studer led all marketing elements required to land IW P&L to include marketing, specialist sales strategy, technical sales strategy, partners, and services.

Before joining Microsoft, Studer spent 12 years at Oracle and for the last several years was the group vice president of marketing. His organization was responsible for identifying market opportunities, creating marketing strategy, and generating awareness and demand for Oracle’s applications and industry solutions.

Originally from Denver, Colorado, Studer received his BS in accounting and finance from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and he is a board member of the Thunderbird International Management School of Business.




Track: Server Data and Cloud

Title: Winning Together with Microsoft in Enterprise IT

Abstract: Join CVP Takeshi Numoto from the Microsoft Server and Tools Business (STB) as he shares an exclusive view of the newest technologies launching this year to help partners win big. With record customer interest in our data center, database, and cloud offerings, there’s no question we all need to be ready to seize this opportunity. Don’t miss your chance to get insights into how we can win together in FY13 and beyond!




Speaker: Takeshi Numoto, Corporate Vice President, Server and Tools Marketing, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: Takeshi Numoto is responsible for marketing the company's infrastructure software and cloud platform that helps IT professionals and developers deliver a dynamic computing environment to run their businesses, including Windows Server, SQL Server, System Center, and the Windows Azure platform.

Prior to leading Server and Tools Marketing, Numoto worked in the Microsoft Office Division, where he spearheaded the Microsoft Office and Office 365 Product Management Group for the Microsoft Office productivity suites (which include desktop applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) and Microsoft Office for Mac.

Numoto joined Microsoft in September 1997 as a business development manager on the Windows NT Program Management Team. He was responsible for crafting and negotiating various technology licensing transactions that enabled the integration of new features into Windows products. After this initial role, Numoto worked on driving new business for extending Windows operating system business into non-PC device categories with Windows Embedded and Windows Mobile offerings.

Before joining Microsoft, Numoto worked in the Japanese government’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry. He holds a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Tokyo and an MBA from Stanford University.




Track: Windows Client

Title: The New Era of Partner Opportunities with Windows 8

Abstract: Windows 8 is Windows reimagined for business customers. It represents a massive opportunity for partners, and is a modern platform for the next generation of hardware. In this session we will cover everything from the Windows 8 value for enterprise and SMB customers, to the opportunity across devices, new Windows apps, and services.




Speaker: Erwin Visser, Senior Director, Windows Commercial Business Group, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: Erwin Visser is senior director within the Windows and Windows Live Division (WWLD), responsible for the worldwide commercial marketing of Windows Client, Windows Intune, and MDOP. Visser’s focus includes both marketing to SMB and enterprise customers, as well as the commercial partner channels.

In 2005 Visser transitioned from Microsoft BV in the Netherlands to Microsoft Corporation in Redmond. The last four years in the Netherlands he has been heading the Microsoft subsidiary marketing organization as a member of the Dutch leadership team. Before leading the marketing team, he has worked in different sales, marketing, and technical presales roles at Microsoft. He began his career working for a Dutch system integrator in various software development projects.

Erwin has a master’s degree in computer science and a minor in mathematics from the University of Amsterdam.




Track: Learning Solutions

Title: Learning Reimagined, Transformed, and Celebrated

Abstract: Innovation in Microsoft technologies results in innovations in learning. Devices. Cloud. Virtual. People are learning in new ways, and now is our time to reimagine learning, ignite new opportunities, and drive business momentum in the years ahead. Please join us for an unforgettable discussion of learning reimagined and what that means from a business perspective, how it drives our business plans, sales and marketing strategies, and investments, and how we're leading the shift with Learning Partners today.




Speaker: Lutz Ziob, General Manager, Microsoft Learning

Bio: Microsoft Learning is a training and skills development organization reaching millions of Microsoft customers worldwide with innovative learning products and services that help individuals and organizations maximize the use of Microsoft technologies to realize their full potential.

Lutz Ziob oversees the development, distribution, and worldwide marketing of a comprehensive line of products and programs that include Microsoft certifications and assessments, classroom training, Microsoft Press, e-learning, virtual classrooms, and other hosted learning services. Microsoft Learning also manages Microsoft Learning Partners and Microsoft IT Academy (MSITA) programs, two of the leading IT training channel and academic learning programs worldwide.

Prior to joining Microsoft in 2002, Ziob was vice president of Certification at CompTIA, where he led the certification department with overall responsibility for certification development and global program growth.

Previously, Ziob was director of Worldwide Education Sales Programs at Novell, Inc. His responsibilities included managing Novell Education’s global training channel and IT certification programs, and directing Novell Education’s business in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Ziob also served as a sales account manager for WordPerfect Corporation in Germany and was a research fellow at the University of Bochum, Germany, and the University of London, UK, where he specialized in comparative studies of European education.

Ziob holds a master’s degree in education and history from the University of Bochum. He has also studied in Exeter and London, UK.

Ziob served on the Board of Directors for ACT Inc., ASTD’s Certification Institute, CompTIA’s IT Certification Council (ITCC), and the Washington State Workforce Training and Education Coordination Board.




Track: Business Leadership

Title: MPN FY13 and Beyond: Vision and Direction

Abstract: In this session, Julie Bennani, general manager of Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) Channel Marketing, will provide an overview of near-term updates to the MPN programs as well as our strategic vision of the program evolution. The MPN program launch is more than 18 months into its life cycle, but we continually need to evolve to keep up with the marketplace, our continually evolving products and services, our partners’ businesses, and our competitors’ tactics. Key topics we will address include program alignment with the major product launches, updated benefits and resources, evolving accreditations, and the evolution of how we develop, engage, and manage partner communities.




Speaker: Julie Bennani, General Manger, MPN Channel Marketing, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: Julie Bennani is the general manager of the Microsoft Partner Network in the Worldwide Partner Group. In this role, she is responsible for the future direction of the Microsoft Partner Network as well as the business operations of running global partner programs on behalf of the WW Partner Group. In addition, her team drives strategic planning for major launches with the Product Groups, channel capacity strategy and analysis, and partner skills enablement. Julie joined Microsoft in May 2007 from Accenture where she served as a senior executive in the high tech sales and marketing consulting practice.

Beyond the strategy and launch of the Microsoft Partner Network, including a significant shift to digital distribution and partner cloud enablement, Julie and her team led successful global partner launches for Windows 7, Windows Server 2008+, SQL Server 2008 and 2012, Office 14, Systems Center 2012, and Office 365 as well as launching a core Business Model Transformation approach to help on-premises partners create a cloud practice. She cochairs a cross-audience Learning Alliance to drive more effective skilling of partner organizations and their employees and has worked closely with the WW Services organization to transform technical services and IP transfer to partners.

At Accenture, Julie focused on sales and marketing issues facing high tech clients (primarily software vendors) with Microsoft as a major client for more than 11 years. Julie’s combination of sales and marketing strategy, operations, and program expertise resulted in a stellar track record of helping Fortune 500 software companies turn their sales and marketing strategies into reality. Julie joined Accenture in 1996 after a brief stint in the environmental field and graduating with an MBA degree from the University of Washington. In addition to an MBA, Julie holds a BA in psychology from Whitman College.




​Track: Application Lifecycle Management and Software Development

Title: Growing Your Business with Visual Studio 2012 Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Solutions

Abstract: This keynote will touch on the shifts driving business growth aligned with agile ALM practices and how your business efforts will be of benefit. At Microsoft, we’re taking our Application Lifecycle Management solution to the next level by enabling stronger collaboration between functional teams and helping reduce waste at each stage of the product delivery. Delivering more value continuously is the evolution of IT and drives the business expectations of IT to enable new revenue streams, new channels, and new consumer engagement opportunities. Today, thanks to IT consumerization, software solutions are expected to be delivered faster—and at a higher quality—than ever before. Effective Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) practices can enable your IT and software teams to stay ahead in today’s highly competitive environment, as well as realize new growth opportunities.





Speaker: Karthik Ravindran, Senior Director Developer Division, Microsoft ALM Solutions

Bio: Karthik has over 15 years of experience in the software/IT industry, 13 years of which have been at Microsoft. He holds a Master’s degree in Information Technology from the University of East London and has broad experiences across various facets of IT and software development. His experiences at Microsoft span services, product and services engineering, engineering general management, and product management. He is currently a Senior Director in the Developer Division leading product management and marketing for Microsoft’s ALM solutions. Prior to his current role, Karthik was the Senior Director of Engineering in the Microsoft Digital Supply Chain Services team where he lead a cross-functional delivery team in building and operating services that power Microsoft’s digital supply chain in enabling digital commerce services for business groups across the company. Prior to that he held lead roles in architecture evangelism, engineering program management, and developer support services.


Tuesday, July 10, 2012, 12:30–1:30






Track: Reseller

Title: Selling to SMB: Delivering Today, Building for Tomorrow

Abstract: This is an exciting time to be selling solutions—be it hardware, software, or services! The coming year has the most exciting releases from Microsoft, and together we will shape the way businesses worldwide create, deliver, and consume information, both on-premises and in the cloud. As you, the reseller, prepare to play a key role in helping these businesses get the most value from their IT investments, Microsoft is investing in enabling you to take advantage of the opportunity ahead. This keynote will highlight key investments by OEM and SMB teams that will help you grow your customer base while boosting profitability. Learn about channel incentives, marketing, new programs, tools, and other initiatives that will help you capitalize on the launch momentum this fiscal year. Also hear from successful partners about what they are doing to seize the Windows 8 + Office opportunity. Bring your excitement to learn more about the opportunity in the reseller channel and leave with a plan to drive success today and tomorrow!

Key messages:
  • Microsoft initiatives that enable the channel in a launch year.
  • New programs and tools to drive sales leading up to, and beyond, new product launch.
  • Microsoft investments in channel profitability.
  • Device, software, and services—the complete opportunity.




Speaker: John Case, Vice President, WW OEM Sales, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: In his role as vice president of Microsoft Field OEM Sales, John Case primarily oversees the worldwide OEM Field execution, including responsibility for the Distribution and Reseller OEM business, the Named OEM business, and local MNA execution. He is also responsible for OEM Information Worker revenue and execution, OEM Server revenue and execution, and the Windows Embedded business including Auto. Case assumed these responsibilities in 2008. In his prior roles at Microsoft, Case oversaw product management, sales, and marketing worldwide for developer and designer products, including multiple versions of .NET, Visual Studio, and Silverlight. He has also worked in the Windows Server product management team and was part of the team that launched Windows 2000.

Before joining Microsoft, Case worked at Monitor Company, a leading strategy consulting firm. He is a graduate of Williams College, where he completed a bachelor of arts in economics, and Dartmouth College, where he completed his MBA.




Speaker: Dana Manciagli, General Manager, Microsoft OEM, Worldwide Distribution and Reseller Channel

Bio: Dana Manciagli oversees the Microsoft relationships with distributors, manufacturers, and resellers of personal computers and servers for the global Distribution and Reseller Channel. During her nine years at Microsoft, Dana has also served as chief of staff, Windows, general manager of Unified Communication sales, and was the originator of the Microsoft Business Productivity sales force.

Prior to Microsoft, she held 25 years of senior sales and marketing positions at Kodak, Sea-Land, and IBM. In addition, she grew a B2B start-up from an early stage to a $60 million publicly held company. She has worked and lived in Asia and Europe with global responsibilities throughout her career.

Away from work, Dana plays golf, spoils her two sons, and serves on the worldwide board of Junior Achievement, helping kids in need.




Speaker: David Smith, general manager, Worldwide Small and Medium Business Sales, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: David Smith leads the global efforts to accelerate Volume Licensing and cloud sales though our strategic channel partner relationships and field teams.

Since joining Microsoft in 1998 David has worked in both enterprise sales and SMS&P in both field and corporate roles. Most recently, he spent four years as general manager, US Microsoft Dynamics Partners. While there he was responsible for channel strategy and field execution as well as partner recruitment, capacity, and readiness. David and team have left a legacy of innovation and customer and partner satisfaction.




Track: Independent Software Vendor

Title: The Next Step Forward: New Opportunities for ISVs

Abstract: ISVs continue to realize the benefits of the ever changing technology landscape. Businesses and consumers are adopting new cloud solutions at a rapid pace in infrastructure, mobile, and on the client side with hybrid scenarios becoming commonplace. Please join Bob Kelly, corporate vice president, Microsoft Server and Tools, to hear insights on how ISVs have been successful in delivering cloud services as well as strategies they should consider as they build their business. Bob will also share how ISVs can deliver cloud services based on Windows Azure along with new opportunities on Windows 8 and Windows Phone to achieve broad-based growth across the platforms.




Speaker: Robert Kelly, Corporate Vice President, Windows Azure Marketing, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: As the corporate vice president for the Windows Azure Marketing team, Bob Kelly oversees the company’s business and marketing strategy for Windows Azure. His organization is part of the Microsoft Server and Tools Business (STB), whose mission is to cloud-optimize every business.

Kelly has played an integral leadership role in defining how Microsoft goes to market with cloud computing by driving the strategy and execution of various marketing campaigns such as Cloud Power. Since joining the company, Kelly has been instrumental in growing the Windows Server business from a relatively new product to a market leader, and helping to shape the $15 billion Microsoft Server and Tools Business.

Kelly began his career with Microsoft in 1996 with the Windows NT Server 3.51 marketing team. He later transitioned to group manager of Windows NT Server and Windows 2000 Server marketing. Following the launch of Windows 2000 Server, Kelly helped form the company's US subsidiary. He has held a series of marketing and product management leadership roles, both in the field and corporate offices, such as general manager of Windows Server Product Management and corporate vice president of Server and Cloud Platform Marketing, which included Windows Server, Systems Center, Forefront, and Windows Azure.

A Massachusetts native, Kelly earned his master's degree and doctorate in English literature from the University of Dallas.




Track: Hosting and Cloud Service Providers

Title: Growing Your Hosting Business with the Microsoft Cloud Platform

Abstract: As the shift to the cloud is accelerating and becoming more broadly adopted by businesses globally, Microsoft sees hosting service provider partners as a core part of our vision for the cloud. This session will highlight the market trends across segments and provide an overview of the opportunities for service providers to go to market as the one-stop-shop IT providers. You will get a glimpse of the company’s newest technologies enabling key go-to-market scenarios that hosting service providers are using to grow their businesses. Featured technologies include capabilities within Microsoft System Center 2012, Windows Server 2012, and Microsoft SQL Server 2012.




Speaker: Marco Limena, Vice President, Business Channels, Worldwide Operator Channels

Bio: Marco Limena is the vice president of Business Channels on the Operator Channels team at Microsoft. Limena is an executive with proven success in growing businesses and leading technology innovation in large and small high tech firms. He has held a variety of executive roles within sales and marketing, including the roles of general manager, CEO, and board director in both public and private firms. His leadership provided key contributions to transforming organizations, improving business performance, and establishing an overall culture of collaboration, accountability, and customer focus. Limena is an industry expert, with 18 years of experience in software, hardware, and services businesses for the communications and media industry. He served as board director of leading industry associations, such as the TeleManagement Forum.

Before joining Microsoft, Limena worked as operating advisor for global private equity firms. Before that, he was president and CEO of Sylantro Systems, a leading provider of VoIP communications software. At Sylantro Systems, he led the evolution of its strategy and business, guiding the company into a strategic acquisition. Limena spent 14 years at HP, with his last role as vice president of the Network and Service Providers Solution Business, managing all aspects of strategy, partnerships, and solution delivery of the company’s multibillion-dollar business.




Speaker: Michael Schutz, General Manager, Windows Server and Management, Product Marketing, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: As general manager of Server Infrastructure Product Marketing in the Server and Tools Business Division at Microsoft, Mike Schutz leads a team committed to helping customers and partners optimize their investments in server and data center technology and make the transition to cloud computing. Schutz is responsible for managing the product planning, product marketing, and depth partner engagement for the Windows Server and System Center products and Microsoft virtualization and private cloud solutions.

Schutz joined Microsoft in June 2002 and has held a number of leadership positions in the Server and Tools division, helping customers optimize their infrastructure with Microsoft solutions. Mike has 15 years of technology experience in business applications and servers. Before joining Microsoft, Mike held engineering and marketing leadership roles in several private and public technology companies.



Speaker: John Engates, Chief Technology Officer, Rackspace

Bio: John Engates joined Rackspace in August 2000, just a year after the company was founded, as ​Vice President of Operations, managing the datacenter operations and customer-service teams. Two years later, when Rackspace decided to add new services for larger enterprise customers, John created and helped develop the Intensive Hosting business unit

Most recently, John has played an active role in the evolution and evangelism of Rackspace’s cloud-computing strategy and cloud products. John meets frequently with customers to hear about their needs and concerns, and to discuss Rackspace’s vision for the future of cloud computing. John currently serves as Chief Technology Officer.

John is also an internationally recognized cloud computing expert and a sought-after speaker at technology conferences, including CA World, the Goldman Sachs Techtonics Conference and Cloud Expo. He speaks on the future of cloud computing, enterprise cloud adoption, data center efficiency, green data center best practices, and more.

Prior to joining Rackspace, John was a founder and General Manager at Internet Direct, one of the original Internet service providers in Texas.

John is a graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio and holds a B.B.A. in Accounting.


Track: Windows Client

Title: The New Era of Partner Opportunities with Windows 8 (Repeat)

Abstract: Windows 8 is Windows reimagined for business customers. It represents a massive opportunity for partners, and is a modern platform for the next generation of hardware. In this session we will cover everything from the Windows 8 value for enterprise and SMB customers, to the opportunity across devices, new Windows apps, and services.




Speaker: Erwin Visser, Senior Director, Windows Commercial Business Group, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: Erwin Visser is senior director within the Windows and Windows Live Division (WWLD), responsible for the worldwide commercial marketing of Windows Client, Windows Intune, and MDOP. Visser’s focus includes both marketing to SMB and enterprise customers, as well as the commercial partner channels.

In 2005 Visser transitioned from Microsoft BV in the Netherlands to Microsoft Corporation in Redmond. The last four years in the Netherlands he has been heading the Microsoft subsidiary marketing organization as a member of the Dutch leadership team. Before leading the marketing team, he has worked in different sales, marketing, and technical presales roles at Microsoft. He began his career working for a Dutch system integrator in various software development projects.

Erwin has a master’s degree in computer science and a minor in mathematics from the University of Amsterdam.




Track: System Integrator

Title: Selling Together: Building for Success in FY13

Abstract: Join Mark Wolfram, General Manager of Worldwide Corporate Account Partner Sales at Microsoft, as he reviews the FY13 priorities for system integrators/solution partners. Understand the strategic opportunities we have for you to base your business on, and how Microsoft is your go-to partner to help solve your customers’ challenges, help save them money, and help you increase your business results.




Speaker: Mark Wolfram, General Manager, Worldwide Partner Sales, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: As the general manager of Worldwide Partner Sales within the Corporate Account group at Microsoft, Mark Wolfram leads a global team responsible for $6 billion in Corporate Account revenue. His team owns partner sales strategy and execution to ensure Microsoft success with enterprise customers. In execution, Wolfram’s team drives sales operations across more than 700 Microsoft partner sales field roles managing the top 2,100 system integrators and the large account reseller channel best aligned to drive Microsoft product and customer segment priority success.

Wolfram has successfully led a wide range of business, sales, and finance functions during his 20-year tenure with Microsoft. Before joining the Worldwide Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partners group (SMS&P) in June 2008, Wolfram served as managing director of Venture Integration, where he oversaw more than 60 Microsoft acquisitions, and prior to that he managed the sales for the Western region of the US subsidiary.

Wolfram holds a master’s degree in international economics and a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Johns Hopkins University. He lives in the Seattle area with his wife and two children.




Tuesday, July 10, 2012, 12:45–1:45 P.M.






Track: Distributor

Title: Evolution and Innovation in Distribution

Abstract: The big Microsoft bet is distribution! Distribution is the lynchpin of the Microsoft strategy to reach, activate, and enable resellers to sell the latest cloud and business solutions as well as Windows devices to millions of SMBs and consumers globally. The opportunity is huge and Microsoft is investing in distribution to ensure that this opportunity is realized and our close, profitable relationship grows to new heights. The keynote is specifically tailored to arm distribution executives to build and execute their business plans successfully with Microsoft in the next fiscal year.




Speaker Name: Terry Hagerty, General Manager, World Wide OEM Distribution

Bio: Terry Hagerty joined Microsoft in June 2008 as general manager, Worldwide OEM Distribution. Prior to joining Microsoft, Hagerty was employed by Tech Data Corporation for more than 20 years, where she held executive positions in sales, product marketing, channel marketing, and marketing services. At Tech Data, Hagerty was responsible for defining and implementing sales and marketing strategies for both direct and indirect channels. During the span of her career she has worked closely with leading IT manufacturers and publishers to successfully promote products and services through distribution and has extensive experience working with direct marketers, corporate resellers, systems integrators, OEMs, and VARs. In her current role at Microsoft, Hagerty is responsible for the development and execution of the OEM Division’s worldwide distribution strategy and programs.




Speaker: Peter Davidson, SR. Director, Partner Strategy (SMS&P/Distribution), Microsoft Corporation

Bio: Peter Davidson is the senior director of Distribution with responsibility for Commercial Distribution Strategies and leads the Global Distribution Partner Account Manager (PAM) field force. A 15-year veteran of Microsoft, Peter has held leadership in channel sales, business development/new business incubation and product management.




Tuesday, July 10, 2012, 2:00–3:00 P.M.






Track: Microsoft Dynamics

Title: Microsoft Dynamics: Give Your Everything—Diligence, Dedication, and Drive (Repeat)

Abstract: Microsoft Dynamics provides business applications that are sold, extended, and delivered by partners. Our best partners differentiate themselves through their diligence, dedication, and their drive to be the best in the business. Join Doug Kennedy to learn how to maximize your differentiation by going vertical, embracing the cloud, and achieving scale to grow your business—and hear about key partner program announcements. See how your peers have succeeded against competition and distinguished themselves by adopting to the dynamic nature of the business. Get a glimpse of Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM product momentum from our executives and our vision for the business of the future.




Speaker: Doug Kennedy, Vice President, Microsoft Dynamics Partners and Customer Service Programs

Bio: Doug Kennedy joined Microsoft in March 2008 as vice president of the Microsoft Dynamics Partner organization. In this role, Kennedy is responsible for managing the overall business relationship between Microsoft and Microsoft Dynamics partners. In late November 2009 Kennedy’s role was expanded to include Microsoft Dynamics partner and customer support service programs.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Kennedy worked for Oracle for 17 years, holding various management and executive positions within Alliances and Channels, Field Sales, On Demand, and Oracle’s Enterprise Support Services organization. In his last role at Oracle, Kennedy was Oracle’s senior vice president of Worldwide Alliances and Channels. In this role, he reported to Oracle's president, Charles Phillips, and led the worldwide A&C organization that was responsible for the ongoing development and execution of Oracle’s Alliances and Channel strategies and programs, partner revenue-generating initiatives, and the business models for managing all of Oracle’s 20,000+ partners. Kennedy also held technical and sales positions at IBM, where he worked for eight years prior to joining Oracle.

Kennedy received a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in computing science and business administration from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. He also holds a Diploma of Technology in broadcast communications from the British Columbia Institute of Technology.




Speaker: Dennis Michalis, General Manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: Dennis Michalis is a respected technology industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience growing businesses, defining and aligning technology offerings, and leading global, world-class teams. He is responsible for the Microsoft Dynamics CRM product management group, accountable for setting the long-term business strategy; aligning customers’ needs with product plans; creating and executing marketing strategy, including product positioning, pricing, and packaging; developing channels; and driving revenue for Microsoft Dynamics CRM worldwide.

Before joining Microsoft, Michalis was corporate senior vice president at Infor Global Solutions, where he was responsible for the company’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) cloud business and connecting corporate strategy with field execution, including the launch of a worldwide reseller and distribution model in more than 80 countries. Michalis most recently served as the business development lead at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd.

He has held a variety of senior management roles in organizations, including PRG LLC, an angel fund company for startup and microbusiness ventures in the enterprise technology space; Glovia International Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Ltd. that develops extended ERP and supply chain management solutions; and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Michalis has a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in organizational communications and science with an emphasis on quantitative methods from California State University at Fullerton. He was a mentor at the University of California at Irvine’s Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences and the Extreme Computing Student Product Competition, and he was a member of the Executive Council, Mihaylo College of Business and Economics, California State University at Fullerton.

A native of Southern California, he is an avid waterman, endurance athlete and youth sports coach.




Speaker: Fred Studer, General Manager, Microsoft Dynamics Product Marketing, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: Fred Studer is an accomplished marketing executive with a solid track record in both product and corporate marketing. He is an award-winning presenter with proven ability to understand and communicate complex technology vision and more than 20 years of experience.

As general manager for Microsoft Dynamics Product Marketing, he is responsible for a multifunctional team covering Microsoft Dynamics AX, NAV, GP, and SL with the cumulative revenue accountability for all of these products worldwide. Studer’s team also owns the industry strategy for Microsoft Dynamics including retail, manufacturing, distribution, public sector, and professional services. The core accountability of his team is to define innovative strategies that will change the paradigm of traditional business applications by differentiating the Microsoft Dynamics portfolio on simplicity, value, and agility. Studer and his team have the direct accountability for setting the long-term business strategy across all segments, aligning product plans with R&D and then building and executing the marketing strategy. These responsibilities include product strategy, cloud strategy, channel alignment, customer engagement, sales models, and market evangelism.

Previously, Studer was general manager of the US Information Worker Business. He was responsible for the US subsidiary revenue and P&L performance for Microsoft information worker (IW) products, which is more than 7 billion USD in revenue. These products include Microsoft Office, Project, Visio, SharePoint, Office Live, Outlook, Exchange, Office Communication Server, and the IW cloud computing services of Microsoft Online. Focused on driving growth, Studer led all marketing elements required to land IW P&L to include marketing, specialist sales strategy, technical sales strategy, partners, and services.

Before joining Microsoft, Studer spent 12 years at Oracle and for the last several years was the group vice president of marketing. His organization was responsible for identifying market opportunities, creating marketing strategy, and generating awareness and demand for Oracle’s applications and industry solutions.

Originally from Denver, Colorado, Studer received his BS in accounting and finance from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and he is a board member of the Thunderbird International Management School of Business.




Wednesday, July 11, 2012, 12:30–1:30 P.M.






Track: Enterprise

Title: Partnering to Win in the Enterprise

Abstract: Microsoft provides the broadest portfolio of enterprise-class, cloud-based services and traditional software. Join Susan Hauser, corporate vice president of Enterprise and Partner Group, to hear about industry trends and the significant opportunity ahead for partners. Learn how to drive business value, increased revenue, and improve customer satisfaction with Microsoft in the enterprise.




Speaker: Susan Hauser, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Enterprise and Partner Group, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: As corporate vice president of the Worldwide Enterprise and Partner Group at Microsoft, Susan Hauser oversees the Commercial Industry Sectors, Public Sector, and the Global Accounts Organization. She is responsible for driving worldwide sales and marketing, solution and partner development, thought leadership, and strategy. Hauser ensures that the breadth of Microsoft business solutions meets the needs of and creates new business opportunities for commercial enterprises, government agencies, health organizations, and education institutions globally. Hauser and the business report directly to Kevin Turner, chief operations officer.

Hauser brings more than 20 years of customer, vertical, sales, and management experience to her role. She formerly served as vice president of the Microsoft Worldwide Industry and Global Accounts Organization. In this capacity, she successfully grew the Microsoft presence in key vertical industries and expanded the company's Global Accounts business.

Hauser began her Microsoft career in 1989 as a reseller account representative in New York. Throughout her career at Microsoft, Hauser has maintained a steady focus on aligning the company’s efforts to create innovative solutions for the customer. She has held a number of executive positions, including general manager for the Microsoft New York Metro District and general manager of the Microsoft Customer Advocacy and Licensing group, where she was responsible for promoting, engaging, and partnering with customers on intellectual property strategies and investments.

Prior to Microsoft, Hauser worked at Decisionex, selling financial turnkey systems, and Charterhouse Financial, where she helped to develop a reseller channel.

Outside of work, Hauser enjoys spending time with her family, listening to local Seattle music, and discovering new hikes in the Pacific Northwest. Hauser earned her bachelor of arts from City College New York and is a board member for the nonprofit organization NPower.




Track: Large Account Reseller

Title: LAR Value Keynote: LAR Acceleration! Partnering for Growth in 2013.




Speaker: LAR Value Keynote: LAR Acceleration! Partnering for Growth in 2013.

Bio: The SMS&P team works in partnership with Microsoft business group leaders to drive sales and marketing efforts and provide comprehensive business solutions for small to midmarket business customers. In addition, the SMS&P group oversees the company's channel strategy, supporting a large worldwide partner network that creates a range of solutions to help customers meet their unique business needs.

A 19-year Microsoft veteran, Torossian was most recently the vice president of Microsoft Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), overseeing Microsoft operations in Central and Eastern Europe. Torossian oversaw 26 subsidiaries serving 32 countries, leading one of the fastest-growing Microsoft regions and helping to steer the company’s activities in EMEA as a member of the regional leadership team.

Torossian joined Microsoft in 1992 to create the channel marketing organization for Microsoft France. Subsequently, he led numerous business divisions and initiatives in France, and was named deputy general manager of the French subsidiary.

Previously, Torossian was general manager of Microsoft SMS&P in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region—a position he held for three years. During his tenure in Singapore, the APAC region experienced unprecedented growth and development, and Torossian gained a wealth of experience working with emerging markets including India, China, and Southeast Asia. He also successfully led the integration of different product lines and businesses within Microsoft.

Before joining Microsoft, Torossian held both business and consumer sales and marketing management positions with Texas Instruments, Inc. Torossian is a graduate of the International School of Business (ISG) in Paris, INSEAD (the European Institute of Business Administration), and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.




Wednesday, July 11, 2012, 2:00–3:00 P.M.






Track: Public Sector

Title: Making a Real Impact Together in Public Sector

Abstract: Finding more effective and efficient ways to serve citizens is a growing necessity for public sector institutions around the world. This innovation imperative for our customers in government, education, health, and public safety and national security makes these some of the fastest growing industries for Microsoft and our partners. See how our partners are meeting this demand, winning versus the competition, and growing their business with innovative solutions that meet the needs of the evolving public sector marketplace. We'll highlight the vast range of new opportunities for connected solutions spanning devices, software, and services, and how we can highlight the relevance of our offerings for public sector leaders and institutions—helping them truly harness innovation for a real impact for a better tomorrow.




Speaker: Laura Ipsen, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Public Sector, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: Laura K. Ipsen is corporate vice president of the Microsoft Worldwide Public Sector organization, leading a team of more than 1,900 sales and marketing professionals serving government, public safety and national security, education, and non-privatized healthcare customers in more than 100 countries. In this role, Ipsen oversees Microsoft work in providing innovative technology solutions and forward-thinking programs to help public sector organizations provide efficient and effective public services to their citizens and build the capacity of their populations.

Ipsen assumed her current position in February 2012. Prior to joining Microsoft, Ipsen served as senior vice president and general manager of Connected Energy Networks at Cisco, where she led the effort to use the network as the platform to transform how the world manages its energy and environmental challenges. Ipsen led the Connected Women’s Advisory Group and was also the cochair of Cisco’s EcoBoard, which oversees Cisco’s comprehensive sustainability strategy and guides its efforts to use information technology in addressing environmental concerns and climate change.

Previously, Ipsen established and managed Cisco’s Global Policy and Government Affairs division for 13 years and was responsible for developing Cisco’s public policy agenda and advancing governmental policies in support of broadband and IP-based technologies.

Ipsen began her career in international trade and government affairs for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Washington, D.C. She also held positions at Acer and Hitachi Data Systems. Ipsen currently serves on the board of Monsanto. She is the past chair of the board of the Information Technology Industry Council and has received numerous awards and recognition for her work in information and communications technology, sustainability, and gender diversity.

Ipsen holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from the University of Virginia and studied Arabic at Yarmouk University in Jordan. She currently resides in Northern California with her husband and three children. She enjoys art, running, politics, and mentoring.




Track: Small and Medium Business

Title: SMB: Accelerating Growth Through Change and Innovation

Abstract: SMB represents a $100 billion opportunity for Microsoft, and critical to our success is the work we do with partners. In this keynote, Thomas Hansen, vice president of SMB WW, will share how we’ll use our best-in-class products and a strong launch year to retain and acquire customers and enable them to harness the power of IT either on-premises or in the cloud. You’ll hear directly from your peers about how they have embraced this power of choice, inspiring SMBs to seize new opportunities with increased competitiveness, agility, and focus, and lower costs. Microsoft is continuing its strong commitment to the SMB segment, so join us to better understand the investments we’re making next fiscal year and how you can partner with us to accelerate growth and maximize the SMB opportunity.




Speaker: Thomas Hansen, Vice President, Worldwide Small and Medium Business, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: Thomas Hansen is vice president for Worldwide Small and Medium Businesses at Microsoft Corporate Headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Hansen joined Microsoft in 2001 as the SMS&P director in South Africa. In 2004 he was promoted to area director for SMS&P for Middle East and Africa, based in Turkey. For the period of 2006–2009 Hansen was the subsidiary general manager for the Microsoft end-end business in West, East, Central Africa, and Indian Ocean Islands, a territory spanning 48 countries. From 2009–2011 Hansen was the general manager for Distribution and Channel Sales WW.




Speaker: Travis Hargett, President, Eastridge

Bio: Travis Hargett holds BS and MS degrees in computer science from The Citadel and NC A&T, and cofounded Eastridge Technology in March 1998. Today Hargett serves as president of Eastridge, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for Portals and Collaboration and a current Microsoft Cloud Accelerate/Cloud Champion member. Eastridge has 25 employees based in North Carolina helping SMB and midmarket customers with custom development, SharePoint, Office 365, and IT managed services with Windows Intune.



Track: Windows PhoneTitle: Windows Phone: Built for Business
Abstract:
Windows Phone provides the best personal and business mobile experience. It allows IT organizations to meet their security and management needs while giving their users the productivity and communication tools they already know and utilize. In this keynote learn about new opportunities for building and growing your mobility business with Microsoft, and how to effectively compete against other platforms such as BlackBerry.


​Speaker: Charles Thomas Gruhler, Technology Marketing Executive and Branding Strategist

Title: Windows Phone. Delivering excitement on the go

Bio: Thom Gruhler has earned a reputation in the industry as an executive that has the depth of knowledge and has honed the creativity to successfully create a recognizable brand for multibillion-dollar companies. As the corporate vice president of Windows Phone Marketing at Microsoft Corporation, Gruhler leads all advertising, marketing and communications activities for the Windows Phone Division. He works closely with product engineering teams and telecommunications partners to create greater awareness and customer demand for Windows Phone devices, software and services. In this role, he brings the expertise and breadth of experience necessary to align the teams and deliver revolution within the way Windows Phone is viewed in the market.

Prior to Microsoft, Thom served as global managing partner of Telecom & Technology at McCann Worldgroup, driving growth and developing relationships with the largest telecom and technology brands around the world. Gruhler managed the Verizon $1.9 billion account, leading an integrated multidisciplinary team of agencies that developed the iconic “Can you hear me now?” campaign and helped contribute to a period of unprecedented growth and success for Verizon. Previously, as president of McCann Erickson New York, the flagship and largest office of McCann Erickson Worldwide, he also oversaw key clients, including Mastercard, Kohl’s and Sony Ericsson.

Before his tenure at McCann, Gruhler managed global brands such as Barclays, DaimlerChrysler, HP, Hilton and Salomon Smith Barney at other agencies within the Interpublic Group, the holding company parent of McCann Worldwide.

Thom has always been a strong proponent of teamwork within and across agency walls – always making mentoring programs a priority. He established a Reverse Mentoring Program to help young, tech-savvy employees educate their more senior colleagues in the intricacies of digital media and other emerging technology platforms. In November 2008, the AAF (American Advertising Foundation) inducted Thom into its Advertising Hall of Achievement. The AAF Hall of Achievement is the highest industry award for excellence and accomplishment in advertising professionals 40 and under.

Thom is involved in both industry and community activities. He was named Chairman of the Advertising Club of NY in July 2009. He has also served as Chairman of the Account Management Committee of the 4A’s (American Association of Advertising Agencies) since 2006. He has served on the advisory board for the Good Deed Foundation and played an active role in PENCIL in New York, providing hands-on exposure of the advertising business to students of NYC public schools.​​​





Regional Keynotes




Thursday, July 12, 2012, 8:30–10:30 A.M.






Track: Regional Keynote

Title: France Regional Keynote

Abstract: Come and join the French leadership team. After three full days of keynotes, sessions, business meetings, roundtables, and networking, let’s share and discuss our priorities and opportunities. It’s also a good time to get your questions answered.




Speaker: Hélène Auriol, Division Director, Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partners (SMS&P), Microsoft France

Bio: Hélène Auriol began her career in the United States, working five years for a telecom operator, and then spent 16 years at Nortel, where her last position was EMEA vice president for Carrier Operations and Services. She joined Microsoft France in January 2009, arriving from Dell where she was general manager for African, Mediterranean, and Baltic countries. She graduated from the Telecommunication School of Paris (Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications de Paris) and completed an Executive Program at INSEAD Business School.




Speaker: Jean Ferré, Division Director, Developer and Platform Ecosystem (DPE), Microsoft France

Bio: Jean Ferré, 42 years old, joined Microsoft in April 2011 to manage the Developer and Platform Ecosystem (DPE) division. His mission is to lead the Microsoft ecosystem, from students to IT professionals, startups, developers, or investors. The DPE division is at the crossroads of strategic businesses for Microsoft, its clients, and its users: The cloud with Windows Azure, apps innovation through Windows Phone or web design thanks to the latest version of Windows Internet Explorer, and of course Windows, among others.

Ferré graduated from The Polytechnique School in France and started his career as a researcher for L’Ecole des Mines in Paris, then joined the consultancy group Mac & AT Kearney. He then worked in Argentina for an American cable operator before becoming CEO of Ariesem (software development—Thales Group) from 1997 to 2001. During the dot-com bubble in 2000, Jean became president of the Silicon Sentier society, which he created with other entrepreneurs to help young and promising IT workers from various fields (e-business, development, communication) to develop. Thus, the Sentier, an old district in Paris, became an area of innovation and technology growth.

In 2002, Jean became chief of international development at BPI, a consultancy company.

Before he joined Microsoft, he was CEO of the business search company Sinequa.




Track: Regional Keynote

Title: Partner Business Briefing—Finland

Abstract: Microsoft fiscal year 2013 will be exciting. It will be a new era for Microsoft. We will experience exciting Windows PC and phone devices that connect to cloud services to use new, world-class productivity and business solutions. Together with our partners we have the most influential partner ecosystem, which can amplify the excitement to our mutual customers. Please join us in a briefing session that will outline the Microsoft Finnish subsidiary vision, and how we will go after our FY13 business priorities and objectives. You can share your feedback and get more insight with the Finnish Microsoft team.




Speaker: Anthony Gyursanszky, M&O Lead, Microsoft Finland

Bio: Anthony Gyursanszky is marketing and operations director of Microsoft Finland and board member of Ficom. Gyursanszky has more than 20 years of experience in ICT business. Before joining Microsoft he was CEO of Endero and a board member of multiple technology companies. Gyursanszky has also worked in leadership and management team positions of publicly listed software companies like F-Secure and SSH Communications and of telecom companies like Tellabs and Nokia.








Speaker: Markku Pulkkinen, SMS&P Lead, Microsoft Finland

Bio: Markku Pulkkinen leads the Microsoft midmarket and SMB businesses and partnerships in Finland. He has more than 22 years of leadership and business development experience in global software companies.




Track: Regional Keynote

Title: Japan Regional Keynote

Abstract: Yasuyuki Higuchi, president and CEO, Microsoft Co. Ltd., will talk about FY13 Japan priorities, organization, and partner call-to-action to win together. The session also includes introduction of the FY12 Japan partner leadership team, the latest product demo, and WPC wrap up. (The session will be in Japanese.)




Speaker: Yasuyuki Higuchi, President and CEO, Microsoft Japan Co, Ltd., and Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Corporation

Bio: Yasuyuki Higuchi became president and CEO of Microsoft Japan on April 1, 2008. Founded in 1986, Microsoft Japan is the company’s second-largest subsidiary with a workforce of more than 2,000 employees. Because Japan is home to some of the world's most advanced consumer and commercial technology, Microsoft Japan plays a major role in supporting the company’s broad initiatives and objectives.

Higuchi joined Microsoft in March 2007 as the COO of Microsoft Japan, bringing a combination of strategic vision, tactical execution, and broad business leadership developed while working in Japan for such companies as Boston Consulting Group, Apple, Compaq Computer, and Hewlett-Packard.

Higuchi began his career at Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., as an engineer, and then moved on to a business strategy role at The Boston Consulting Group K.K. In 1994, he took on a marketing role at Apple Japan, Inc., working in their consumer business before joining Compaq Computer KK in 1997. When Compaq Computer merged with Hewlett-Packard in 2002, Higuchi became vice president and general manager of Industry Standard Servers at Hewlett-Packard Japan, Ltd., ascending to president in 2003. In 2005, he led the restructuring of Daiei Inc.—the second largest retailer in Japan—as president, successfully completing its revitalization prior to joining Microsoft.

Higuchi holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering science from Osaka University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.




Track: Regional Keynote

Title: Denmark Regional Keynote

Abstract: FY13 priorities from the management of Microsoft Denmark, both from a high-level perspective and from the individually segments of SMB, Microsoft Dynamics, CA, and DPE to inform the Danish partners of the strategy, the focus areas, and the market opportunities in the Danish market based on the Microsoft technology platform.




Speaker: Erik Kaae, Director, Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partners (SMS&P), Microsoft Denmark

Bio: Erik Kaae was appointed director of SMS&P for Microsoft Denmark in 2009. As such, he is responsible for sales of all Microsoft products to small and midsize companies, all Microsoft partners, Microsoft Dynamics business, and Iceland. In this role, Kaae focuses on developing a strong relationship with Microsoft partners to ensure a solid partner ecosystem for continued growth for both Microsoft and partners.

Prior to this role, Kaae was director of Business Groups and Marketing from 2005 and was responsible for the day-to-day running of Microsoft Denmark. He was responsible for the five groups of products: Client (Windows), Information Worker (Office), Servers, Microsoft Business Solutions, and Mobile telecom (Windows CE). During his time in this role, Denmark was awarded “Best Large Sub in the World” due to best Scorecard on top of meeting revenue and contribution margin goals.

Prior to joining Microsoft in 2003, Kaae worked seven years at NCR/AT&T. From 1997 to 2003 he was at Compaq and then HP (following the merger) as business unit manager.

Kaae’s background is cand.polyt degree (MSc) in computer science from DTU (Denmark Technical University), where he has also lectured. Further to this he has a HD (MSc in economics) in organization.




Speaker: Ole Kjeldsen, Director, Developer and Platform Group, Microsoft Denmark

Bio: Ole Kjeldsen has been with Microsoft since July 2000 and currently heads up the Developer and Platform Group in Microsoft Denmark.

Overall, this group is responsible for three things: counseling and helping customers who want to be “first movers” in technology solutions as well as technology-aided, new business models; securing the widest possible and very satisfied ecosystem of partners and developers building their business and solutions on the .NET platform; and lastly to monitor and implement the local strategy for inclusion of and interaction with the newest trends in the marketplace.

Kjeldsen has a background in finance, and worked in trading in Denmark, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Having held several positions in both people management and business leadership, his competencies are typically put to use in connection with strategic analysis of IT-based business concepts/models, with emphasis on organization, channels, and go-to-market.




Speaker: Stig Orloff, Corporate Accounts Segment Lead, Microsoft Denmark

Bio: Stig Orloff has been with Microsoft since November 2005, and leads the Corporate Accounts segment, which includes customers with at least 250 desktops. Next fiscal year this segment will consist of approximately 500 commercial customers and 90 municipalities. The account teams are measured on revenue, customer satisfaction, and a large number of KPIs (such as deployment, System Center, CRM). The account teams are heavily dependent on close relationships with business partners—because all products count, account planning and scaling through partners are crucial for success.




Track: Regional Keynote

Title: India Regional Keynote: BIG on Partnership

Abstract: FY13 is a BIG year—A year of great product launches, a year of tremendous business opportunities, and a year of excitement and growth for partners in India. Hear about all this from the Microsoft India leadership at the India keynote.




Speaker: Sathya Prasad Rai, General Manager, SMS&P, Microsoft India

Bio: Sathya Prasad Rai is general manager for SMS&P at Microsoft India. He is responsible for all commercial business for the segment and managing the India partner ecosystem. Prasad brings with him more than 22 years of international experience in the technology sector.




Track: Regional Keynote

Title: Norway Regional Keynote

Abstract: The local leadership team present at WPC will give you an abstract of FY13 strategies across segments and business groups.




Speaker: Dagfinn Ringås, Director, SMB, Microsoft Norway

Bio: Dagfinn Ringås is director for Small and Midmarket Solutions & Partners (SMS&P) in Microsoft Norway. This means responsibility for the subsidiary’s largest sales and marketing segment together with Microsoft partner relations and programs.

He has been with Microsoft for seven years and previously held positions as director of Microsoft Office Business Group, director of Microsoft Business Solutions, and marketing manager with Microsoft Business Solutions. Before joining Microsoft, Ringås worked six years for Norwegian CRM company SuperOffice and two years for the Sydney-based software company, Network 4 Business.

Ringås has an MBS from Sydney Business School and a Bachelor in North American Studies and Political Science from the University of Oslo.

Ringås is married, with two kids, and passionate about team sports, apline skiing, tennis, and rock ‘n’ roll.




Track: Regional Keynote

Title: BeLux Meeting: Winning Together in FY13 in Belgium and Luxembourg

Abstract: Come join the BeLux leadership team to get an overview of the priorities and the planned activities for FY13, as well as putting some partners in the spotlight. Don’t worry, nothing heavy. We’ll keep it crisp and clean—and entertaining.




Speaker: Philippe Rogge, General Manager, Microsoft Belgium and Luxembourg

Bio: Technology is the recurring element throughout Phillipe Rogge’s professional career, which has involved several functions in various sectors/branches of industry.

Philippe started his career as IT developer and project manager at Esso. Later, at CMB, he became responsible for IT and telecom and subsequently was responsible for several domains at Belgacom. He further developed his experience, which ultimately led him to become VP of Business Development and Strategy Enterprise. Prior to his arrival at Microsoft, Philippe developed a new business strategy with a strong focus on software while at Option.




Speaker: Steven Stokmans, Director, Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partners (SMS&P), Microsoft Belgium and Luxembourg

Bio: As director, Steven Stokmans’s main task is to set up a network of partners able to answer the technologically specific needs of the customers. In Belgium, Microsoft is currently working with 4,500 partners. Stokmans holds a commercial engineer diploma. He entered at Microsoft in 2004 after being general manager, Belux and Scandinavia, at Software Spectrum. He is married to Katia, has three young kids, and has been spending most of his (other) free time on sailing and antiques.




Track: Regional Keynote

Title: APAC Regional Keynote

Abstract: The Microsoft APAC leadership team welcomes you to our Regional Keynote on Thursday, July 12, at WPC in Toronto. Join us to hear from our APAC business leaders, Tracey Fellows, area vice president, and Alvaro Celis, vice president. Tracey and Alvaro will share our FY13 vision, strategy, and key go-do’s.

And then, in line with our tradition of inviting external guest speakers, we have the opportunity to hear from two reputed experts: Per Werngren, president of IAMCP Worldwide, and Stan Slap, president of slap Consulting. We look forward to your participation in a stimulating business session!








Speaker: Alvaro Celis, Vice President, Microsoft Asia Pacific

Bio: Alvaro Celis is vice president of the Sales, Marketing, Services, IT, and Operations Group (SMSG) for Microsoft Asia Pacific. In his role he leads an organization which spans all Microsoft products, services, and technologies. With expertise across consulting, customer service, marketing, sales, and technical support, the group is the engine behind the successful adoption and use of Microsoft solutions and technologies by customers in the region.

Celis has more than 19 years of experience at Microsoft. Previously, he led the operations of the Microsoft Multi Country Americas (MCA) region, the third largest region in Latin America and the Caribbean after Mexico and Brazil, from August 2008. This region covers a vast territory including the Caribbean, Central America, and part of South America (Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru).

As leader of MCA, he grew the business at three times the rate of IT spending in these markets, and successfully built a new country organization and leadership structure that serves as a reference to other emerging markets across the world within Microsoft. On the corporate social responsibility front, social investments within this region to schools and educational institutions impacted 100,000 teachers and 200,000 students in fiscal year 2009, and this region had the largest social impact in Latin America through the execution of programs, grants, and partnerships across the region.

Alvaro is a well-versed speaker on several industry topics including cloud computing and national competitiveness.

Alvaro first joined Microsoft in Venezuela, where he was the eighth employee of the subsidiary as the program manager for Servers, Operating Systems, and Development Tools. He has held numerous leadership roles in the company including general manager of the Venezuelan subsidiary, as well as for Guatemala and El Salvador, where his work on developing the business in these two countries later led them to become independent subsidiaries.

Alvaro was born in Maracay, Venezuela, and holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Universidad Simón Bolivar, cum laude (Caracas, 1990). Alvaro is married to Aleida Serron, and the two enjoy their twins, a son and daughter, Alvaro and Andrea.




Speaker: Tracey Fellows, President, Asia Pacific Region

Bio: Tracey Fellows was appointed president of the Asia Pacific Region for Microsoft in December 2010, and is based in Singapore.

Her leadership of the Microsoft business in the Asia Pacific Region will allow her to champion her passion for the role technology plays in education, diversity, and creating opportunities for women in the technology sector, and good corporate citizenship. She leads Microsoft teams in a very diverse geographical region, covering Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific, Korea, Southeast Asia, and the emerging markets of Brunei, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

Fellows grew up in Canada, moving to Australia during her high school years. She completed a Bachelor of Economics degree from Monash University and a postgraduate Diploma of Banking Management from the Macquarie Graduate School of Management, and amassed more than 22 years of work experience in the Australian IT industry.

She held a number of roles with Dell, including as their general manager of Home, Small, and Medium Business Division, and with IBM, as general manager of their PC Division.

In 2003, Fellows joined the Microsoft Australia team as the lead for the server and tools business, before being promoted to the marketing director role. In this position, she oversaw all the business operations and corporate and product marketing functions, including Windows Client, Microsoft Office System, Windows Server System, Mobility, and Microsoft Business Solutions.

In 2007, she became managing director of Microsoft Australia. In this role, she was charged with meeting the needs of Microsoft customers, which include governments, large enterprises, small and midsize businesses, and consumers, as well as the 14,000 partners and independent software vendors who produce leading-edge technology solutions for Australian businesses based on the Microsoft platform.

Under Fellows’ leadership, Microsoft Australia was recognised for Australia’s Hewitts Best of the Best (2009), Hewitts Best Employer (2007), Diversity @ Work Employment, and Inclusion of Women in Leadership (2009). Today, Microsoft Australia is one of the company’s top ten overseas subsidiaries. Fellows also championed the role of women in the IT industry and became recognised as one of Australia’s leading businesswomen.

She is married to Ian, and they have an eight-year-old son, Jake.




Speaker: Stan Slap, President, SLAP Consulting

Bio: There are people who just talk about it and people who do it. Our keynote speaker today is someone who does it.



Slap’s strategic work has created huge impact for organizations ranging from Microsoft and eBay to the IRS and the Government of Northern Ireland. He has increased employee engagement for HSBC, helped Deloitte redesign their client experience, and developed the new brand strategy for Black Entertainment Television.

Slap’s training programs are taught in more than 70 countries and the first of his three books, Bury My Heart at Conference Room B, was recently published by Penguin and immediately became a bestseller, topping charts from The New York Times to The Wall Street Journal.

His corporate biography says that, “Stan is intent on making a profound difference in the world—before he is forcibly removed from it.”

Today, he is intent on making a profound difference in our world. Buckle up: we’re going off road!




Speaker: Per Werngren, President, WW IAMCP

Bio: Per Werngren is the longest serving Worldwide President of the International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners (IAMCP) as well as the CEO of Idenet AB in Scandinavia.

He holds several honorary titles within the IAMCP and is on several boards within the IAMCP.

Werngren has started and developed a large number of chapters in his IAMCP volunteer role all over the globe and has a deep understanding of how the Microsoft ecosystem looks like in different parts of the world.

During Werngren’s leadership the IAMCP grew from 5 to 44 countries with focus on expansion to LATAM, APAC, and EMEA—and the P2P revenue between members now exceeds 10 billion USD, according to IDC.

As CEO of Idenet he leads a company 100 percent focused on delivering hosted private cloud solutions to Scandinavian customers.

Being a serial entrepreneur Werngren has started and funded a number of IT companies.

He is passionate about P2P and has developed structured methods for how to increase maturity in P2P (documented by IDC).




Track: MEA Regional Keynote

Title: MEA Regional Keynote

Abstract: “Sunny MEA is becoming cloudy—will you enjoy walking in the rain or do you need to hide?”
Michael will discuss the fast changing world our MEA partners work and live in, the Cloud Computing triggered disruptions that are around the corner, what they will do to the MEA ecosystems and how partners can adapt to be ready for the wave of Clouds coming to MEA the next years. During the session Michael will blend trends, experiences, changes, disruptions and opportunities around Cloud Computing in MEA, combined with a very practical and experience based view on how to cope with disruptions and most important - how to change and plan for these to be ready for the the coming years of Cloud Computing in MEA.




Speaker: Ali Faramawy, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Corporation; President, Microsoft Middle East and Africa

Bio: As corporate vice president of Microsoft Corporation and president for Microsoft Middle East and Africa (MEA), Faramawy has a number of responsibilities spanning business strategy and operations. He is a key member of the international leadership team that is responsible for the company’s global strategy, with a particularly visible role among the company’s worldwide emerging markets community.

Faramawy is directly responsible for Microsoft operations in MEA, one of thirteen areas that compose Microsoft worldwide operations. The area represents one of the fastest growing and dynamic Microsoft markets and is certainly its most diverse one. Microsoft MEA operates through 32 offices and covers 79 countries across three continents.

Throughout his 20-year career in the IT industry, Faramawy has held different technical, sales, and managerial roles in different parts of the Middle East and in Europe with companies including Dun & Bradstreet Software, NCR Corporation, Yokogawa Marex, and lastly Microsoft Corporation.

Faramawy joined Microsoft in October 1997 as the general manager of Microsoft Egypt. After a successful four years in that role, he assumed additional responsibilities for the area of Eastern Mediterranean, which encompassed Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Cyprus, and Malta.

In May 2002, Faramawy was named the regional director for sales, marketing, and services for a newly consolidated Microsoft Middle East and Africa region. In this role, he led the efforts to transform and grow the company’s regional presence with a newly established regional headquarters. In 2004, he was promoted to president of Microsoft Middle East and Africa and in 2011 to corporate vice president of Microsoft Corporation.

Faramawy graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, majoring in computer science and automatic control and has an MBA in strategic marketing from the University of Hull in the United Kingdom. He is married and has two sons. He loves the IT industry and its impact on empowering people and transforming industries. He is passionate about the future of people in emerging markets. He also enjoys music, reading, and the occasional round of golf.




Speaker: Michael Kogeler, COO and CMO, Middle East and Africa Region (MEA), Microsoft Corporation

Bio: In his role as COO and CMO in MEA, Michael Kogeler is responsible for operations, marketing, products, and strategy in the region and is part of the senior leadership team, reporting to the vice president of MEA.

In his current role Kogeler focuses on driving and operationalizing the global Microsoft strategy, ensuring the local variables and environment are being taken into account with the goal to maintain the Microsoft growth and leadership position and execute on the global strategy. He has a close working relationship with the corporate vice presidents of product groups and customer segment sales divisions in defining the strategies and practical execution of these in the Microsoft MEA countries.

Described as passionate for technology and business with a broad, in-depth knowledge, focused, sharp, dynamic, focused on quality and results, and demanding, Kogeler was born in 1969 and grew up in the Netherlands. After university he joined McKinsey & Company where he worked for four years in various consulting roles in Amsterdam, New York, and Jakarta. After leaving McKinsey he worked at KPMG Management Consulting, Lotus and IBM Consulting, had an IT consultancy startup, and worked at EDS Consulting on the business process side outsourcing projects. During his time at Microsoft Belgium and Luxembourg, joining in 2003, Kogeler has been business and marketing director (COO), Online Services Group country manager, and general manager for the Consumer and Online Division. In his last role before his current position, he was working directly for the president of Microsoft International as director strategic projects, where he was responsible for driving the international cloud computing strategy of Microsoft International, defining the worldwide SMB GTM cloud strategy and Windows Phone international GTM strategies and plans.

Kogeler is Dutch in origin, has a Belgian passport, lives in Dubai, is married to Katrien Haesendonck, and has two young kids, Leon and Janelle. In his free time he enjoys new technology, sports like running, golf, and sailing, and spending time/travelling discovering the MEA region with his family.




Track: Regional Keynote

Title: The Best from WPC and How We Plan to Be Successful FY13 in Sweden




Speaker: Marie Ygge, Public Sector Director, Microsoft Sweden

Bio: Marie Ygge is responsible for Microsoft sales to the public sector, including local, regional, and central government as well as education and healthcare. Ygge has more than 20 years of experience in business-to-business sales and marketing of IT products, solutions, and services both directly and via partners to customers of different sizes, from the smallest local to the largest global customers.




Speaker: Per Adolfsson, General Manager, Microsoft Sweden

Bio: Per Adolfsson entered into the role of GM for Microsoft AB in 2009. Prior to joining Microsoft in 2008, Adolfsson had been working within the IT industry for nearly 20 years, (working for companies such as Compaq/HP) in many different capacities.




Speaker: Richard Lind, Director of Developer and Platform Evangelism, Microsoft Sweden

Bio: Richard Lind oversees all Microsoft relationships with developers, IT professionals, and independent software vendors. His previous experience includes country manager for HP Software, executive VP for Frango AB, and various European management roles at the Microsoft European Headquarters.




Speaker: Tomas Frimmel, Director, Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partners (SMS&P), Microsoft Sweden

Bio: Tomas Frimmel started at Microsoft in 2005 through the IT security company Sybari, Inc. As SMS&P director he is responsible for the development of incubation sales in Western Europe (part of the Enterprise and Partner Group (EPG) in Redmond).




Track: Regional Keynote

Title: Latin America & the Caribbean – A New Era, Together!

Abstract: The Microsoft Latin America & the Caribbean leadership team welcomes you to our Regional Keynote on Thursday, July 12, at WPC in Toronto. Join us to hear from our LATAM Sales & Marketing VP, Cesar Cernuda; our LATAM Partners Director, Diego Bekerman our FY12 Highlights, Your Feedback and FY13 and beyond LATAM’s Vision, Strategy and Business Opportunities.

The IAMCP Region leaders will also join, while some Partners will share their Success Stories with Microsoft in the Region and we confirmed Jon Roskill, WW Partners Group CVP as a guest Speaker and to participate in our Q&A with the Latin America & the Caribbean leadership team members.




Speaker: César Cernuda, Vice President, Sales, Marketing, and Services, Microsoft Latin America

Bio: César Cernuda coordinates all areas and business in Latin America in for marketing, enterprises, small and midsize companies, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), tools and platform, as well as clients and partners. He is therefore responsible for the business in the countries Microsoft covers in the region: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and the Caribbean. He also manages the organization and business operations for Microsoft Latin America Area Headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States.

Cernuda has an extensive career in the IT industry, having started his career in business research and analysis and—after spending some time in the financial services industry—joined Software AG, where he successfully developed a new business channel for the sale of the company’s products and services, and ran the financial sector division for Spain and Portugal.

He joined Microsoft Spain in 1997, and spent his first two years leading the independent software vendor team. He then became manager of the Small Business and Web Services division of the subsidiary. His international growth started in 2002 when he was named license compliance director for the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) and joined the Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partners (SMS&P) group. There he worked on the merger between the former Navision A/S and Microsoft, and led license compliance management.

By 2003 Cernuda was general manager for MBS EMEA, becoming the worldwide vice president of Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) responsible for MBS sales and marketing business worldwide, excepting North America. His areas of oversight were sales, presales, channel, marketing, product, support, and services.

Born in Mexico and married with two children, Cernuda holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from ESIC University in Spain, and an MBA from IESE Business School at the University of Navarra in Spain. He is an honorary member of the Plataforma Solidaria de Asturias Foundation and supports child care institutions in Bolivia.




Thursday, July 12, 2012, 9:00–10:30 A.M.






Track: Regional Keynote

Title: Canadian Regional Keynote

Abstract: Join us for the Canadian regional keynote at WPC 2012 where Max Long, president of Microsoft Canada, will share with you details about the local Canadian priorities, areas of investment, and opportunities for Canadian partners. At this session we will also be sure to highlight Canadian partner success stories and celebrate WPC Award winners and finalists, so don’t miss it!




Speaker: Max Long, President, Microsoft Canada

Bio: With more than 20 years of experience in the technology industry, 13 of which have been at Microsoft, Max has had the opportunity to lead and help shape the company’s sales, partner, and marketing strategies.

Prior to taking his new role as president of Microsoft Canada, Max led vertically focused sales teams, ran worldwide enterprise marketing, and also served as the general manager of Specialist Sales. Most recently Max was vice president of worldwide Corporate Accounts and led the team’s mission to enable every Corporate Accounts business to realize its full potential with Microsoft and its partners while driving customer satisfaction and revenue.

Before joining Microsoft, Max spent 10 years at IBM, where he worked in a variety of sales functions across segments and industries.

Max is originally from the United Kingdom, and enjoys competing in triathlons, snowboarding, and spending time with his wife and children.




Thursday, July 12, 2012, 9:00 A.M.–12:30 P.M.






Track: Regional Keynote

Title: Evento Regional Español

Abstract: The Spanish event is on Thursday, July 12, from 9:00 A.M. until 12:30 P.M. at the Holiday Inn Downtown Centre hotel. During the event we will focus on the vision and strategy at the local level, future launches and the strategy for next year, and your priorities and areas of collaboration.




Speaker: María Garaña Corces, President, Microsoft Spain

Bio: Prior to becoming president of Microsoft Spain in July 2008, María Garaña Corces was the South Cone regional director for Microsoft and directly responsible for business operations in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

She has wide international experience, having lived in Brazil, Turkey, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Argentina, and Europe. She has an MBA from Harvard Business School, an International Trade Diploma by Berkeley University, and a bachelor’s degree in law and business administration from San Pablo University.

Garaña joined Microsoft in 2002 as business and marketing officer for Microsoft Mexico, being responsible for revenue and P&L of the five business groups within the company. At the time she had to structure the general coordination of marketing and sales groups for Mexico´s subsidiary.

Before joining Microsoft, Garaña was the CEO of Zoom Media Group, a communication company with headquarters in Miami, and VP of business development for Todito.com, the online services website for Television Azteca Group. Before that, she also worked at Merrill Lynch International in London and at Andersen Consulting and Citibank in Madrid and Turkey.

Garaña is a member of the Young Presidents´ Organization Group (YPO) and of the International Women Forum (IWF). She serves in the Board of Directors of Fundacion Equidad and Fundación Junior Achievement, non-profit organizations that promote social equity through information technology. She is also member of the ESADE Professional Board and the American Chamber of Commerce Board in Spain. In 2009, Garaña was appointed as Businesswoman of the Year by the Spanish Association of Businesswomen (FEDEPE).




Thursday, July 12, 2012, 10:00 A.M.–12:00 noon






Track: Regional Keynote

Title: CEE Regional Keynote: Partnering for a New Era of Success

Abstract: With more than 417 million people and a total GDP of 2.6 trillion USD, Microsoft and its more than 40,000 partners in Central and Eastern Europe are addressing a huge market with tremendous growth and business opportunities.

Join our Central and Eastern European Regional Keynote at WPC 2012, where the senior management team will outline the future direction, priorities, and areas of opportunities for our partners in the region. Under the motto “Partnering for a New Era of Success” we will also share best practices and success stories from CEE partners and celebrate this year’s WPC Award winners from CEE. We are looking forward to welcoming you to this not-to-be-missed session.




Speaker: Wolfgang Ebermann, Vice President, Central and Eastern European Headquarters

Bio: Wolfgang Ebermann, vice president of the Central and Eastern European headquarters since mid-2011, oversees all pipes of the business in the region and reports directly to Don Grantham, president of Microsoft Central and Eastern Europe.

Prior to that he was the vice president of the Sales and Marketing organization for Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partners (SMS&P) in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). In this role, he was responsible for driving Microsoft software and services offerings to small and midsize customers through close cooperation with the Microsoft partner channels. He reported directly to Vahé Torossian, corporate vice president for SMS&P worldwide.

Ebermann started his management career at Microsoft Germany in 1991 as the subsidiary’s business unit manager. In that role, he successfully established the Microsoft Office product family in the market and founded the Strategic Business Planning department for the German executive board within Microsoft. He was also a member of the German executive board for six years within the Microsoft subsidiary, leading the subsidiary’s marketing operations and the SMS&P group. In 2004, he joined the EMEA executive leadership team and was responsible for leading the Information Worker Business Group. He was appointed to the role of vice president of sales for the SMS&P group in EMEA in April 2007.

Before Microsoft, Ebermann worked at HP Europe as key account manager for the European Software Partner Program. Ebermann is married and has one child.




Speaker: Don Grantham, President, Microsoft Central and Eastern Europe

Bio: Don Grantham, president of the Microsoft Central and Eastern Europe region since July 2010, oversees Microsoft operations in 16 subsidiaries servicing 32 countries, employing more than 3,000 people. Grantham also helps steer Microsoft activities around the world as a member of the executive leadership team for Microsoft International.

Grantham is responsible for ensuring a positive experience for Microsoft customers and partners in the region. In that role, he engages with government leaders, business makers, and community representatives throughout the area, and also invests a lot of time developing talents in the Microsoft Central and Eastern Europe subsidiaries.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Grantham was senior vice president and chief sales officer at HP. He was responsible for the company's enterprise accounts and public sector sales, as well as sales for the communications, media, and entertainment; financial services; manufacturing and distribution; and health and life sciences industries. Don was also responsible for worldwide alliance sales, sales operations, sales compensation, global presales, sales support, and the company’s go-to-market effectiveness.

Prior to joining HP, Grantham spent nine years at Sun Microsystems, culminating in his last position as executive vice president of Global Sales and Services, reporting to the CEO. He was responsible for the overall leadership of more than 17,000 employees around the world. Under Grantham’s leadership, Global Sales and Services delivered a consistent, integrated, and responsive customer experience through a unified sales and services organization worldwide.

Grantham started his career in high tech with IBM. During his 17 years there, he held numerous leadership roles, including executive management responsibility for sales in Northern Europe during his final three years at the company.

A native of the United Kingdom, Grantham is a former semi-professional soccer player and remains an avid fan. When he is not traveling the globe visiting Microsoft customers, partners, and employees, he spends any spare time following his favorite soccer teams.




Track: Regional Keynote

Title: UK Regional Keynote: The Year Ahead—A Winning Opportunity

Abstract: The UK Regional Keynote represents the starting blocks to the new financial year—a not-to-be-missed session that will put the previous days’ content into the context of the UK priorities for the year ahead. Presented by the UK partner and customer teams, this session will give insight into the priorities, investments, and opportunities for the UK subsidiary during the next 12 months. This year the event also features a guest speaker: Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist Adam Kreek will provide inspiring lessons on teamwork and winning—equipping us to continue that winning spirit as we return to the United Kingdom and discuss strategies with our customers.




Speaker: Barry Ridgeway, General Manager, Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partners (SMS&P) Group, Microsoft UK

Bio: Barry Ridgeway was appointed as the general manager of SMS&P for Microsoft UK in August 2010. Prior to this appointment Ridgway worked as the chief of staff for the Office of the Chief Operation Officer (COO) at Microsoft, where he was responsible for supporting the COO with all aspects of sales marketing and services business planning, strategy development, and operational management. He was also responsible for managing the COO’s external engagement with customers and partners across 80+ subsidiaries in more than 190 countries around the world.

Ridgeway has been at Microsoft for 16 years, 12 of which were in the WW Public Sector Sales organization. He worked as the government industry sales director for Microsoft Asia-Pacific for three years. He spent eight years in the Microsoft US Public Sector Group, where he managed the US Air Force and Defense Agency business and also served as regional sales director in the Microsoft US State and Local Government Industry Group. Ridgeway also spent one year working at the Microsoft WW Public Sector Headquarters in Redmond, WA, as director of operations and business strategy. Prior to joining Microsoft, he worked for a US-based large account reseller in sales and marketing for three years.




Track: Regional Keynote

Title: German Regional Keynote: Empower Your Network

Abstract: What a week!

Why do we talk about a new era? Let’s summarize—what are the key issues for the German market, and more precisely, for our partners:

Key Issue 1—Cloud
Revenue is no longer being made right when a deal is won. The shift that happens at the market has to begin in the partner’s mind: Cloud business is no longer comparable to the real estate market (one deal = big revenue) but to the insurance market (one deal = long-term revenue). Don’t miss upcoming opportunities—the market is getting more and more competitive. An impact survey shows the evolution of the German market.

Key Issue 2—Apps/Devices
As customer expectations have changed, the business has changed as well. Reflecting this change, Microsoft has developed Surface, which is a great sales chance for every partner. It’s the same with apps. An impact survey shows the evolution of the German market.

Key Issue 3—Launches
FY13: Biggest launch time in history. Market opportunities will be shown to partners. All parts are being completed by mentioning the Microsoft strategy concerning Google, Amazon, and Apple and by addressing what the next steps are that partners have to take as well as how Microsoft activities and programs assist partners for being ready to win within the market.

Further parts of the keynote:
Award ceremony—we honor finalists and award winners.
Round of talk—Asking tough questions, expecting interesting answers.
Grand finale—Celebrating an impressive week with great participants.






Speaker: Bernd Stopper, Director PS&P, Microsoft Germany

Bio: Bernd Stopper is responsible for the Partner Strategy and Programs Division (PS&P) at Microsoft Germany. He reports directly to Martin Berchtenbreiter, GM of SMS&P and member of the Management Board at Microsoft.

After finishing his study of product engineering at the University of Applied Science in Furtwangen with the Dipl.-Ing. degree, Stopper joined Microsoft in 1995. He worked within several marketing positions where, among others, he managed the Marketing Organisation for midmarket customers, was responsible for the launches of Windows XP, and managed the Office product. Before he overtook the PS&P Lead, Stopper established a sales-related, customer-centric marketing approach within the M&O Organisation.

Bernd is married and has two teenage boys aged 14 and 16 who keep him mentally and physically fit. In the summer, Bernd likes to spend his time hiking in the mountains with his family and friends; in the winter, he goes down to the valley on skis.




Speaker: Martin Berchtenbreiter, General Manager, Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partners (SMS&P), Microsoft Germany

Bio: Martin Berchtenbreiter is responsible for the Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partners Group (SMS&P) at Microsoft Germany. He reports directly to the area vice president, Germany, and is member of the Management Board at Microsoft.

During his studies of business administration Berchtenbreiter worked in the product marketing group of AT&T. He subsequently joined the Microsoft OEM marketing business in 1996. After several management positions in OEM marketing, business management, and sales for the German-speaking area and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) he was appointed OEM EMEA business manager with responsibility for the sales business in southern Europe. From 2006 to 2009, Berchtenbreiter served as senior director of OEM Germany, holding responsibility for the original equipment manufacturer business. The OEM business covers all licensing agreements with PC manufacturers who preinstall Microsoft products on their computers.

Berchtenbreiter is married. In his spare time, he frequently rides a road bike, has a passion for outdoor activities in Canada and Norway, and is an avid reader and wine connoisseur.




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