Microsoft Partner Exec Shuffle: Sorgen Goes to EPG, Schuster Interim Channel Chief
Microsoft is moving some senior partner executives around as it comes into the home stretch of its fiscal year, which ends next month.
After a nearly three-year stint as corporate vice president of the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group, Phil Sorgen will become corporate vice president of the U.S. Enterprise and Partner Group (EPG), a Microsoft spokesperson said in an e-mail Tuesday.
"Gavriella Schuster will step in as interim vice president of Worldwide Partner Group until the permanent replacement is hired. Microsoft is committed to the Worldwide Partner Group and its vast partner ecosystem," the spokesperson said. Sorgen hired Schuster, a 20-year veteran at Microsoft, as general manager of Worldwide Partner Programs in May 2014.
Sorgen is now the corporate vice president of the U.S. Enterprise and Partner Group, a role previously held by Ron Markezich, a former Microsoft CIO and the corporate vice president for Microsoft Online during the seminal 2007-2011 period when Business Productivity Online Services (BPOS)/Office 365 was getting off the ground.
L to R: Phil Sorgen, Gavriella Schuster and Ron Markezich.
"Ron took a new role in Office Marketing a few months ago. He leads Office Services Marketing, and is responsible for core product marketing for Exchange & Outlook, Yammer, SharePoint & OneDrive, Skype & Skype for Business, and shared Office 365 services," the spokesperson said.
Markezich, who has been in the U.S. Enterprise and Partner Group role since 2011, describes the job this way in his LinkedIn bio:
Corporate vice president of Microsoft's U.S. Enterprise and Partner Group, serving the 1,500 largest commercial customers in the US with Microsoft's full suite of enterprise offerings, cloud services and cool Microsoft hardware. Responsible for leading U.S. enterprise sales and marketing, including national and field sales, partners, marketing, operations and vertical industry teams. Ron is responsible for $8.5B of annual revenue growing at >10% per year.
Sorgen's appointment marks a return to EPG for him. From 2003 to 2005, he was general manager of EPG National Sales, according to his LinkedIn profile. After those roles he was president of Microsoft Canada, then corporate vice president for the U.S. Small and Mid-Market Solutions Group.
Posted by Scott Bekker on May 11, 2016