News

Microsoft Names Kevin Johnson Group VP for Sales

Kevin Johnson took over the job of group vice president for Microsoft's worldwide sales, marketing and services group, Microsoft said Tuesday.

Johnson, an 11-year veteran at Microsoft, fills in the post left open by Orlando Ayala, who recently stepped into the newly created position of group vice president of Microsoft's worldwide small and mid-market solutions and partners group.

Johnson remains on the Microsoft Business Leadership Team and will report to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. He will have responsibility for all Microsoft salespeople worldwide and manage Microsoft's marketing and services initiatives, customer and partner programs and product support and consulting services.

Johnson's previous position was senior vice president of Microsoft Americas. According to Microsoft, his main contribution there was an effort to align the company's U.S., Canada and Latin America sales teams around 12 key vertical markets.

"We've worked hard to implement this approach in the Americas region, and I look forward to the opportunity to build on this vision so it benefits our global customer base," Johnson said in a statement.

He has also been vice president of Microsoft product support services and, before that, general manager of Microsoft's enterprise services.

About the Author

Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.

Featured

  • Microsoft Offers Support Extensions for Exchange 2016 and 2019

    Microsoft has introduced a paid Extended Security Update (ESU) program for on-premises Exchange Server 2016 and 2019, offering a crucial safety cushion as both versions near their Oct. 14, 2025 end-of-support date.

  • An image of planes flying around a globe

    2025 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

    Here's your guide to all the IT training sessions, partner meet-ups and annual Microsoft conferences you won't want to miss.

  • Notebook

    Microsoft Centers AI, Security and Partner Dogfooding at MCAPS

    Microsoft's second annual MCAPS for Partners event took place Tuesday, delivering a volley of updates and directives for its partners for fiscal 2026.

  • Microsoft Layoffs: AI Is the Obvious Elephant in the Room

    As Microsoft doubles down on an $80 billion bet on AI this fiscal year, its workforce reductions are drawing scrutiny over whether AI's ascent is quietly reshaping its human capital strategy, even as official messaging avoids drawing a direct line.