Position: General Manager

Location: Redmond, WA

Company:

The General Manager WW SMS&P, Small Business, is a key leadership role within Microsoft’s WW Small and Midmarket Business team (SMB). The SMB team is responsible for Microsoft’s business and relationship with over 40 million organizations around the globe, and is directly responsible for worldwide revenue in excess of $11 billion in the current fiscal year, of which half is in the Small Business segment.

SMB ownership of the customer business and relationship within Microsoft extends from customer research and analysis to defining the sales model (processes, roles, and metrics) and marketing strategy that is executed by SMB teams that operate in over 60 subsidiaries. Further, the SMB team drives relevant product, self-service, and licensing strategies across different groups within Microsoft. Taken together, the SMB subsidiary execution and strategic corporate efforts result in the key accountabilities which the team is responsible for: revenue growth, market share, and a preferred customer and partner experience (CPE).

The Small Business segment specifically requires a channel-driven sales & marketing model, relying heavily upon distributors, Value Added Resellers (VARs) and Systems Integrators (SIs), and the Web to create customer awareness, drive demand and close sales. Specific efforts targeting the Small Business audience include a Small Business Community website that attracts millions of customers per month, Small Business Specialist Community partners, and PR strategy and execution through Small Business and association marketing. In recent years, Microsoft’s results in the Small Business segment have been growing rapidly and are currently expected to outgrow IT spend by 150% to 400%, depending on geography, through increased focus on channel incentives, readiness, and marketing, as well as a renewed emphasis on increasing legalization in appropriate markets.

This successful candidate for this role will lead and own the Small Business team reporting directly to Michael Risse, VP WW SMS&P SMB. This person will be the Global Business leader of the function, accountable for developing and delivering the comprehensive worldwide strategy and leading the decision-making process for the Small Business segment including initiatives and programs in both the subsidiaries and across the Microsoft organization. The GM will lead a team of 14 in Redmond, have dotted line reports in the 13 WW geographic areas, and have an extended team in the hundreds within the subsidiaries. They will also work across an extended network within Microsoft, with interfaces and access to all key product, support, and operations functions within the company.

The GM will work collaboratively across Microsoft’s Sales, Marketing & Services Group (WW SMSG) as well as the with the Business Group leadership.

Key responsibilities include:

Analyzing industry trends, competitive landscape and customer wants & desires to create a customer framework to drive customer strategy, marketing programs, and input to product definition.

Accountability for worldwide Small Business market share, revenue, and CPE results as well as formulation of long term sales strategy. Key levers are distribution strategy and engagement, VAR and channel marketing, and audience outreach efforts (web, PR), as well as subsidiary execution and metrics.

Collaborating with and maintaining strategic relationships with product development organizations (Microsoft Office, Windows Vista, and hosted offerings as examples) to ensure appropriate product offerings to Small Business, definition of Small Business sales model and support offerings (licensing, relationship marketing).

Team management of direct reports, virtual team, WW community, and partnership with subsidiary leadership to identify and develop talent in partnership with the 13 geographical areas. The GM will also be on the executive staff for WW SMS&P.

The GM, WW SMS&P Small Business, will have demonstrated expertise in leading an Audience/Partner sales organization for a leading technology company focused on solution sales. The GM should be extremely analytically oriented given the scope and size of the business.

Candidates must have demonstrated skills and experience in the following areas:

Minimum of 10+ years business leadership experience

Channel / Sales Management - partner capacity and readiness experience and previous direct or channel solution selling experience leading teams with sales quotas/targets

People Management - experience in managing people and their professional skills development; hiring, development and managing attrition

Organizational Leadership - experience and confidence in leading high performance team goals, metrics, program, initiatives, and priorities

Business Management - experience in running a P&L, with a discipline and rigor to the management of the business

Operations Excellence - experience establishing and implementing scorecards, programs, tools and processes that an organization uniformly uses to execute initiatives

Organizational Agility - can navigate a complex organization to reach a goal or objective; is effective at positioning gives/gets and has outstanding executive presence and presentation skills.

Education: B.S. in Business, Marketing, CS or related degree; advanced degree preferred.

A current passport. This is a WW role with responsibilities in Redmond and in customer and Microsoft events around the globe, requiring 10% travel during the year.

Contact:

Cyndy Davis, SPHR
Global Central Sourcing Team
Strategic Staffing Consultant
Microsoft, Inc.
cyndyd AT microsoft DOT com
Visit my blog - www.cyndyonline.com