News

Flinders Named Co-Chief for Microsoft U.S. Partner Group

Deshaies moves on to unspecified project for Microsoft U.S. Leadership Team, and Watson moves other executives around her WPG orgchart.

• By Scott Bekker
• August 01, 2009

Jenni Flinders, a nine-year Microsoft veteran with deep channel experience, in July became vice president for U.S. Partner Business Development and Sales. Flinders' most recent role involved leveraging distributor relationships to reach the breadth of Microsoft's 640,000-member global channel.

Flinders replaces Robert Deshaies, who will be focusing on an unspecified "key strategic initiative" for the Microsoft U.S. Leadership Team, a company spokesperson said in an e-mail laying out a number of moves within Microsoft's channel organization.

The move takes Flinders from the Worldwide Partner Group (WPG), where she reported to Corporate Vice President Allison Watson. She now will report to Phil Sorgen, corporate vice president, U.S. Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partners (SMS&P).

Under various titles, including general manager and global business leader, Flinders has run the channel incentive and transaction channel operations within the WPG for the past three years. Presumably, the move gives Watson a close associate in the critical U.S. partner subsidiary. Of the 360,000 partners who are formally registered in the Microsoft Partner Program, nearly a third (110,000) are in the United States. Flinders had served as Watson's chief of staff before her promotion to managing the transaction channel, which includes distributors, Large Account Resellers and other resellers. Flinders' previous Microsoft experience included stints as the marketing lead for SMB in South Africa and a regional role lead with Microsoft Latin America.

Deshaies came to the partner role from the sales side. He was a regional vice president of the U.S. SMS&P East Region for several years before becoming vice president of the U.S. Partner Group in 2006. In July 2008, Deshaies' title changed to vice president of U.S. Partner Sales and Business Development. A colleague, Cindy Bates, became vice president of U.S. Partner Strategy, Marketing and Programs at that time. Bates' role remains the same, and Flinders and Bates will work side by side as Bates and Deshaies did previously, basically as co-chiefs of the U.S. channel.

Other Leadership Changes
Two other executives will take up the torch for the distribution channel. "We will continue our deep focus on the Worldwide Distribution channel as a key mechanism for reaching SMB customers as announced earlier with the appointment of Birger Steen as vice president, Worldwide SMB and Distribution and Thomas Hansen as general manager, Worldwide Distribution," the Microsoft statement said. Steen reports to Eduardo Rosini, corporate vice president of the worldwide SMS&P. Hansen reports to Steen.

On Watson's team, 12-year Microsoft veteran Allen Boone will lead the Channel Incentives team, coming to the WPG from the Server and Tools Business Group, where his role involved pricing and business models for Software plus Services. Boone's title is "director," and he reports to Watson.

Ross Brown, the WPG's vice president of Solutions and ISV Partners, will also expand his duties to include some of the transaction channel responsibilities previously handled by Flinders.

In other WPG management changes, Karl Noakes joins Watson's leadership team as a senior director. Noakes has focused for the last year on Web design, Web developers, custom developers and ISV communities. Another of Watson's direct reports, Julie Bennani, continues in the same role, but with a new title reflecting the changes coming to the Microsoft Partner Program, which was renamed the Microsoft Partner Network in July. Bennani is now general manager, Microsoft Partner Network. Watson also named Caroline Goles, who formerly worked in Flinders' Channel Incentives team, to be her new chief of staff.

Meanwhile, one major channel position that isn't shaking up is Allison Watson's. Named to run the WPG in August 2002, Watson has helmed the organization for nearly seven full years, bringing a stability to Microsoft's channel organization that is remarkable for a company that constantly moves people around.

Sinofsky Promoted to Windows Division President

Veghte, Reller also set to be moved to new positions.

The channel organization isn't the only area where names and responsibilities are being shuffled inside Microsoft. Also in July, Microsoft promoted Steven Sinofsky to president of the Windows Division.

Sinofsky formerly served as senior vice president of the Windows and Windows Live engineering group.

In his new role, Sinofsky will oversee marketing and engineering efforts on Windows, Windows Live and Internet Explorer.

Sinofsky's promotion appears largely due to his efforts in getting Microsoft's newest operating system, Windows 7, ready for delivery on a tight schedule and with limited drama.

Another personnel change involved former Microsoft Dynamics heavy-hitter Tami Reller, who will take on marketing responsibilities while continuing her current role as chief financial officer of the Windows Division.

Microsoft plans to move Reller to "a new leadership role in the company to be announced later this year," according to the announcement. The company also plans to move Bill Veghte, senior vice president for the Windows Business, into a yet-to-be-specified leadership position.

-Kurt Mackie