U.S. Channel Chief Willis Leaving Microsoft
Microsoft U.S. Channel Chief David Willis announced Friday that he would be leaving Microsoft in January after 28 years at the company.
He didn't use the word "retire" in a blog post on the official U.S. Partner Blog, and some of his phrasing left open the possibility that he might emerge as an executive somewhere in the future. However, Willis suggested that his focus in the near future would be on family time, leisure activity, travel and volunteering.
"Personally, I've always lived life with a 'work hard, play hard' mentality, and I'll be shifting my balance from less work to more play, as I spend much more of my time on passions that include snowboarding, playing hockey, my guitars, spending more quality time with family & friends, and eventually some fun travel experiences once COVID-19 eases up. I'm also looking forward to participating in more volunteer opportunities and giving back to the community. I thank Microsoft for making it possible for me to be in this position," Willis wrote.
Willis said that it wasn't an easy decision to leave Microsoft, and that he was proud to have spent most of his career there.
Willis joined Microsoft in Canada in 1992 and held a number of marketing and sales roles in his first decade with the company, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He's been a fixture of the partner community since becoming the vice president for Small and Midmarket Solutions & Partners (SMS&P) in Canada in 2003. Later he held the positions of VP of U.S. East Region for SMS&P and VP of U.S. Dynamics.
In 2013, Willis became Microsoft's U.S. Channel Chief, when the full title of the role was corporate vice president of U.S. SMS&P. In the major reorganization of 2017, when the partner organization became One Commercial Partner (OCP), Willis essentially maintained the same function as CVP of U.S. OCP.
A successor has not been named. Willis plans to stay through January to assist with the transition.
Posted by Scott Bekker on December 04, 2020