Departing GM Barrie Sheers has been promoted to regional business leader for Microsoft Asia.
Microsoft New Zealand general manager Barrie Sheers has been appointed as One Commercial Partner (OCP) regional business leader for Microsoft Asia. Sheers will be succeeded as New Zealand GM by current enterprise director, Vanessa Sorenson.
Sheers said. “With Vanessa taking over as GM I believe we have an incredible succession plan in place, which will see Microsoft New Zealand move from strength to strength.”
Sorenson will become Microsoft New Zealand general manager from April 1. She joined Microsoft in October 2017 after more than two decades at Spark, most recently as general manager. Since becoming enterprise director, she has been instrumental in building Microsoft’s relationships with key business customers and is also a noted champion of diversity and inclusion across the tech industry.
“My past three years have been a huge learning journey, and I’m thrilled to be in the privileged position of leading the New Zealand business,” Sorenson said. “Working alongside the best talent I have ever come across, and with the strong growth and trust Barrie has helped us create, I see so much potential ahead. I feel incredibly excited to be taking over from Barrie, who is leaving Microsoft NZ in such great shape for the future.”
Kiwi-born Sheers joined Microsoft New Zealand as managing director in 2015, having previously worked in executive leadership positions in Asia for the likes of Dell, Quest and Sybase. His new role driving Microsoft’s OCP strategy takes him full-circle, seeing him working closely with country managers and business directors across the Asia-Pacific region.
“For me, OCP is one of the most interesting and dynamic areas of the business today. Having spent a decade running IT businesses in Asia, I am very happy to be returning to this amazingly diverse, vibrant and exciting region with a partner ecosystem to match,” Sheers said.
Microsoft’s senior director of OCP Field strategy and operations, Camille Mazo, acknowledged Sheers’ legacy.
“We are very pleased to welcome Barrie to OCP. His leadership helped the New Zealand business more than double since 2015, win top global subsidiary twice, strengthen relationships with partners and customers, differentiate and take market share from competitors, and fully embrace a diversity and inclusion culture benefiting everyone. Barrie’s business acumen and track record of success will be a great addition to our organisation.”
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