Barrie Sheers (Microsoft)
Microsoft has appointed Barrie Sheers as regional business leader for One Commercial Partner (OCP) in Asia, in a move which sees the former New Zealand managing director relocate to Singapore.
In his new role, Sheers is tasked with spearheading channel efforts in Asia Pacific, working closely with country managers and business directors across the region. As a result, Sheers will be succeeded as New Zealand leader by current enterprise director, Vanessa Sorenson.
“I’m amazed by what a formative and exciting time it’s been,” Sheers said. “I joined this organisation at such a critical time, when the company was returning to an unprecedented level of innovation, trust and relevance.
“I am both humbled and privileged to have played even a small role in that moment of Microsoft’s incredible history. And with Vanessa taking over as general manager I believe we have an incredible succession plan in place, which will see Microsoft New Zealand move from strength to strength.”
Sheers joined Microsoft as managing director of New Zealand in 2015, having previously worked in executive leadership positions in Asia for Dell, Quest and Sybase.
“For me OCP is one of the most interesting and dynamic areas of the business today,” he added. “Having spent a decade running IT businesses in Asia, I am very happy to be returning to this amazingly diverse, vibrant and exciting region with a partner ecosystem to match.”
During his tenure at Microsoft in New Zealand, the local business more than doubled, winning the vendor’s top global subsidiary twice.
“We are very pleased to welcome Barrie to OCP,” added Camille Mazo, senior director of OCP Field Strategy and Operations at Microsoft. “Barrie’s business acumen and track record of success will be a great addition to our organisation.”
The appointment comes days after Microsoft recruited Ahmed Mazhari as president of Asia, replacing Ralph Haupter who is assuming the role of president of Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA).
Effective February 10, Mazhari joins the technology giant following 23 years at GE and Genpact, a spin off from GE launched in 2005, which also operates as a gold partner of Microsoft. He most recently served as senior vice president and chief growth officer leading the company’s growth globally across all industry verticals, products, service lines and geographies.
