Our Team

Tracey joined Microsoft in the early ‘90s when there were just about 5,000 employees, and she has been there as an FTE or vendor for more than 20 years, serving in a variety of marketing roles. After 27 years in Seattle, she decided to trade in her Washington apple for a Georgia peach and moved to Atlanta a little more than a year ago. When reflecting on her time at Microsoft, she says it was a great experience for her professionally and personally. Some of her best friends are people she met during her time at Microsoft. She’s excited to connect with her fellow Atlanta alumni and do amazing things together.

Since beginning his 27-year application development career at Microsoft in 1992, Fadi had the opportunity to meet and work with so many in the Charlotte, North Carolina office. Today, he is the managing director at Modern IT Partners, offering expertise to help business enable digital transformation. As club lead in Charlotte, Fadi is excited to have the opportunity to stay connected to “the best group of people I have had the privilege to know as co-workers and friends.” He invites area alumni to join the Charlotte Club so everyone can reconnect with each other, Microsoft, and the local communities. As the local club lead, he welcomes ideas and feedback.

While at Microsoft from 2005-2020, Dan had technical roles including Windows client tech specialist, “pitch perfect” coach for a worldwide sales training program, and solution architect at the Chicago MTC. You may have even met him if you toured the Chicago Microsoft Datacenter! He’s currently chief learning officer at Smarter Consulting, an IT services and consulting company, doing one of the things he enjoys most – helping people develop skills. Dan has been leading the Alumni Network’s Chicago Club since 2021, and he is honored to connect with and meet others who have the common experience of working at Microsoft.

Anthony was a senior program manager at Microsoft in the late ‘90s and helped direct all phases of the product development cycle. He has continued to build his product management expertise, and he is currently director of product management at AireSpring. Anthony is excited about being the leader of the Alumni Network’s Colorado Club. He looks forward to connecting with fellow alumni to network and doing good things together. See how the lessons he’s learned with his hobby training hunting dogs have helped hone his leadership skills!

From 1999 to 2007, Ryan held various roles at Microsoft, including global sales readiness for the Mobile Embedded Devices Division and the national program manager for MSDN. Originally from Washington state, Ryan now resides in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where today he is the senior manager of the data platform for Connected Analytic Services for Toyota. Ryan stays connected with his Washington roots, as an assistant professor at Washington State University. As club lead for Dallas, Ryan is excited about driving virtual and in-person engagement throughout the Dallas metroplex.

Juan Carlos joined Microsoft in 1995 in a phone support role for Server and Tools and after navigating through Support roles and later Enterprise Sales, he joined in 2003 a Mountain View, CA group called Microsoft TV to develop the Latin America market. His base was Fort Lauderdale sitting alongside the Southeast US team. Juan Carlos has lived in Miami, Florida over the past 22 years, he is passionate about disruptive technology, personal finances and investing. He is excited to be the club lead for Florida to facilitate enabling our alumni community to connect, stay connected to each other and to the company.

Elyn started at Microsoft in 2002 and spent nearly 15 years playing instrumental roles in marketing leadership for global business units with revenues ranging from $20 million to $20 billion. She is currently vice president of marketing, Hybrid Work Solutions, at Hewlett Packard. In 2022, Elyn founded the Microsoft Alumni Hawaii Club, demonstrating her commitment to community impact by uniting alumni to leverage their skills and resources for positive change in Hawaii. Energetic and strategic, Elyn continues to shape the technology marketing landscape with innovation and dedication to both professional excellence and community empowerment.

It was through Kevin’s time at Microsoft that he found the deeper meaning of giving and philanthropy. He started in 1999 with OEM, continued his growth within Partner Sales & Marketing as well as IT, and later moved to the Citizenship group (now Philanthropies). After leaving Microsoft in 2015, Kevin and his wife were inspired to start a drowning prevention program in Vietnam, where they lived for two years. Now in Indianapolis, they founded a nonprofit (We Bloom) and have since started multiple other businesses. Kevin began as the Indiana club lead in May 2024. He is excited to help reconnect alumni and collaborate on new ways of making the world a better place.

Keith worked in sales at Microsoft in Upstate New York for 28 years from 1989-2017, spanning multiple industries and citizenship initiatives that support workforce development, diversity, and education. Since 2018, Keith has been volunteering to help with projects focused on accessibility and inclusion, and writing. In 2023, Keith released “Fraternal Resolve,” a crime fiction novel, and an eBook recapping his Canalway 360 Challenge, biking to 31 libraries along the Erie Canal to deliver his book. The Alumni Network benefits have helped Keith thrive as a freelance volunteer, and he's excited to expand that value for other alumni by leading the Northeast Club.

Tom joined Microsoft in early 1992 when the company had ~ 7,000 employees. He held numerous senior leadership roles in sales, support and professional services during his 16+ year tenure. Currently Tom serves on several nonprofit boards including Blood Cancer United and Playworks. He also spends time coaching and mentoring young entrepreneurs as well as students in high school and college. Tom resides in Westport CT and frequently visits the city. As the NYC Metro club lead, Tom is passionate about bringing together and expanding the alumni community to learn, socialize and share their insights on technology, leadership and giving back.

Dennise Gearty began her career at Microsoft in 1990, first in the U.S. Central Region in field sales and later in Redmond in product and partner marketing roles before leaving both Microsoft and Seatle in 2005. Now based in San Francisco, she has worked in marketing and alliance roles, most recently in Global Collaboration Engineering at Cisco Systems (2016–2024). As leader of the NorCal Club, Dennise is passionate about reconnecting with former colleagues, fostering a supportive alumni network, and leveraging shared expertise to create meaningful connections and positive impact across the Bay Area community.

Ann led learning and development at Microsoft from 2009-2014 within Legal and Corporate Affairs (now CELA). After continuing to build her experience after Microsoft, she founded Guide & Grow Consulting, a training firm specializing in assessing, designing, and facilitating custom learning strategies for leaders, teams, and individuals to maximize potential, collaborate, and thrive in this new world of work. Ann has been leading the Idaho Club since 2022, and she is passionate about connecting alumni, expanding the chapter, and fostering community support.

Over her 24 years at Microsoft (from 1998-2022), Karen helped people all over the world adopt and receive skilling on new technologies, create community-enabling programs, and connect channel partners to engines of rapid growth and global scale. During her time at Microsoft, Karen also spearheaded community and social impact initiatives, aligning channel growth with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) economic opportunities. Karen is the co-founder and senior strategy advisor for Women in Cloud, a community dedicated to unlocking $1 billion in economic impact for women-led startups and women in tech. She also serves on the board of directors for the Black Channel Partner Alliance, a community of Microsoft channel partners offering mentorship, training, and joint marketing sponsorships to help technology businesses grow and succeed. Karen now runs a private marketing and leadership consulting practice and serves as a strategic go-to-market (GTM) and channel advisor for several AI start-ups. She is excited to be the Microsoft Alumni Network Pacific Northwest cClub lLead. She says, “With so much technology change in motion, we are living in truly exciting times--AGAIN!  I am committed to empowering our dynamic alumni community to achieve collective success and thrive together.”

Michael Strand began his career at Microsoft in 1991, spending over 20 years in leadership roles across the U.S. and Asia-Pacific, driving channel-led growth, transforming underperforming regions, and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. Now EVP and Chief Revenue Officer at Promethean, he draws on 25+ years in sales, marketing, operations and channels to drive revenue growth and optimize business performance. As SoCal club lead, Michael is excited to connect with fellow alumni, build a vibrant community, and create new opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and meaningful connections.

Michelle started her career at Microsoft South Africa in 2003 as an account executive for the public sector. After seven years, she moved to the global public sector team in Redmond, where she held various roles across different product, services, and engineering divisions. In 2021, she left Microsoft to pursue other interests and passions like surfing, farming, and more. Michelle founded Argo Consulting in 2023, a firm specializing in product management and go-to-market strategies. She is thrilled to be the Africa club lead, connect with alumni, and share the benefits and opportunities of the Alumni Network.

Marcella spent nearly 30 years at Microsoft, beginning in operations and trade in Redmond before moving into marketing in PacWest and SQL product management in the U.S. subsidiary. Her career then took her across the globe, serving as senior product manager for the Application Platform business group and later as retail industry lead for Australia and New Zealand. She went on to join Salesforce as a senior director, where she defined go-to-market strategy for the Asia Pacific region. In 2023, Marcella founded The Woven Group, helping enterprise and mid-market retailers and consumer goods companies leverage AI and digital optimization strategies while also guiding startups and ISVs to go-to-market success. Now based in Sydney, she enjoys learning, sailing, exploring the outdoors, traveling, and connecting with fellow alumni across Australia—both virtually and in person.

Sherri’s career in sales and marketing began in 1997 at Microsoft Canada in Toronto. In 2002, she moved to Redmond where she held leadership roles in the U.S. subsidiary and Server & Tools before joining Avanade in 2013. With deep roots in the Microsoft ecosystem and more than two decades of experience in high-growth environments, Sherri is known for turning complexity into clarity and strategy into momentum. In 2022, Sherri relocated with Avanade to her hometown of Toronto, where she enjoys gardening, exploring the city, and adventuring with her family and their dog. While she misses aspects of the Pacific Northwest, Sherri is happy to be home and energized by the opportunity to help grow and connect the Microsoft alumni community in Canada.

During Joanne’s 15 years at Microsoft, she handled government affairs and was head of communications for CSS, Asia Pacific, and Greater China Region. When she left the company, Joanne served as the head of marketing for a few companies including 21Vianet, Cloud Business and Oriental DreamWorks, where she led a team to conduct intensive marketing for KONG Fu Panda 3 in China. She oversaw government affairs and marketing at Pingan Property Ltd. before she left in 2018 to support family matters. As a co-lead for the China Club, Joanne is inspired by the power of connecting as well as the magnified ripple effected whenever we see alumni getting together.

Michelle Zou, a tech industry veteran with 30 years of experience, worked at Microsoft both Redmond and China from 2006-2014 in the areas of business management, product management, and training. As the founder and CEO of Pacific Technologies Consulting Group, Michelle helps organizations and professionals thrive through a blend of leadership development, management consulting, training, and coaching. Her expertise extends beyond traditional business practices, encompassing the art of fostering happiness and fulfillment in the workplace. In 2019, she started the China Club together with a few other leaders and looks forward to connecting with alumni.

Christophe worked at Microsoft for nearly 20 years from 1995 (when Windows 95 rocked its launch with the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up”) until 2015. During his tenure at Microsoft, he held various sales roles in France across different sectors, and in Asia, where he led the Vietnamese and Cambodian subsidiaries from 2004 to 2010. Today, Christophe is the chief operating officer of a French IT services company, Lebel Technologies, specializing in the finance sector. Since 2019, he has had the pleasure of leading the Alumni Network’s France Club and organizing social evenings, networking and friendship events -- all shaped by members’ shared history.

Benjamin worked at Microsoft from 1997 to 2010 in various roles, including technical and product marketing as SharePoint product manager in France, and ending his Microsoft career as a partner manager in the Indian Ocean Islands & French Pacific sub. For the past 13 years, Benjamin has been working at Varonis in the cyber security market and is currently director of sales engineering & enablement. He is excited to be working with Christophe Desriac as the Alumni Network’s France Club leads. Ben’s focus is on the relationship with the Microsoft Alumni Network and increasing interaction among alumni in France, particularly between official meetings.

Sabine started at Microsoft in 2005 as a business administrator in Munich, Germany. From there, she moved to Redmond and enjoyed roles including field enablement manager and executive communications manager within the Windows Phone business group. She left Microsoft in 2013 to return to Europe. Today, she is an interdisciplinary consultant with expertise in strategy development, communication, and activation, and supports Microsoft Corp and the local field organization on various projects. Sabine has been a club lead since 2022, and she is dedicated to enhancing the alumni network, fostering professional exchange, and disseminating valuable information.

Olaf started his career at Microsoft in 2007 as a SharePoint consultant in MCS and from 2014-2018 he was a technology solution professional for Microsoft 365 in EPG. Since 2020, Olaf has been working at T-Systems International GmbH in Microsoft Azure Technologies and is currently a senior product manager for the company’s Microsoft Managed Services for Azure. He started the Alumni Network’s Germany Club in 2018. As an assistant club lead, he enjoys reconnecting with former technical colleagues and hearing views from alumni on the Microsoft landscape. He says it is always very inspiring and looks forward to more face-to-face meetings and fun with fellow alumni.

Manohar was with Microsoft for nearly 17+ years (1999-2017) leading multinational accounts, business development, and partner strategy in India—including driving the One Microsoft India agenda comprehensively across six business units. Over his 30+ years in tech, Manohar has developed extensive experience building and scaling ecosystems, managing cloud businesses, forming and running teams, and building solid customer/partner relationships. Now as director of business development at Meta, he is building Meta's AI and Reality Labs ecosystem, driving foundational growth in India. Manohar reflects fondly on his time at Microsoft and is excited to connect and engage with alumni in Mumbai and across India.

Declan Bradshaw spent 22 years at Microsoft (2001-2023), splitting his time between Dublin and the Puget Sound. A career in operations took him across retail/Xbox launches in Europe, consumer product planning in the U.S., global partner incentives, and leading ops transformation for the support and consulting businesses. Now, he's focused on giving back to Ireland via board/advisory roles and his own company. When not working, he’s traveling in his campervan and swimming in beautiful places. He believes the Microsoft Alumni Network is ripe for global growth—with Ireland as a testbed—and a great reason to reconnect. Favorite song: Some Day I’ll Fly Away by Vaults.

After 20 years in the high-tech industry including three years at Microsoft in the U.S. from 1984-1987 (Product Manager for Multiplan 3 – the “grandfather” of Excel), Filippo realized his calling was in his home country. Today, he shares his passion for Italy through his companies: Italy’s Finest, a private travel designer and event planner, and TuscanVillas.com, a luxury villa rental website. He recently joined Action Partners International, specializing in designing and organizing events and travel. In 2020, Flippo became co-lead of the Italy Club and has enjoyed reconnecting with old friends, meeting new ones, and getting back in the Microsoft spirit.

Luca Renzanigo was with Microsoft from 2003-2015, covering a variety of marketing roles in Windows and Office business groups. A highlight was launching the VoIP Competence Center project, winning the Teamwork award and sharing the best practice across Western Europe. Luca is now a freelance professional helping Italian startups grow their business through the internationalization. Luca has a wonderful wife and two fantastic children. He loves tennis, motorsports, and skiing. Luca is happy to lead the Alumni Network’s Italy Club to drive and keep alive the connection among former colleagues. He says, “It’s true, we are a big innovation enthusiasts family!”

Erendira was at Microsoft for over 29 years, from 1994 to 2023. Throughout her career at Microsoft, Erendira was in sales and business development roles in Mexico and Miami/Fort Lauderdale. In her last position as director of sales strategy and planning, she was responsible for driving global sales strategy and new sales models across support services. Today, Erendira is a transformational coach helping clients with account planning, people management, and talent recruitment. As co-lead for the Alumni Network’s Latin America Club, she’s excited about working together and extending our collective Microsoft experiences in new ways.

During his 18+ years at Microsoft from 1992-2010, Javier held leadership positions in sales, marketing and business development in Mexico, Miami/Fort Lauderdale, El Salvador, and Redmond. His last role with the company was senior director, WW field strategy across segments and geographies. Since leaving Microsoft, he has been an entrepreneur and angel investor, and is currently executive director at Providence St. Joseph Health where he is responsible for developing and implementing the information services strategy to support digital transformation. The Microsoft alumni community in Latin America is active and vibrant, and he’s thrilled to be a co-lead.

Felipe’s Microsoft career spanned 24 years, from 1986 to 2010. During that time, he held leadership roles in Mexico City, Bogota, London and Redmond as the GM of subsidiaries, regions, and WW retail for Windows and Office. Since leaving Microsoft, he has continued his ties to Latin America as a technology leader, entrepreneur and angel investor. Felipe is currently a business development executive for Meaning, a software company whose mission is to design the future human communication experience and unlock the full potential of our voice in the digital and virtual era. He is excited to be co-leading the Mexico Club and fostering new connections.

Gabriela spent what she refers to as a transformative decade (1999-2009) at Microsoft Mexico, which shaped her professional journey. She had diverse roles across various areas including product management at bCentral, marketing within Information Worker, sales in EPG, and customer relations at CPE. In 2014, Gabriela transitioned from high-tech into the payments sector. After working at PayPal and Mastercard, she is now senior director of consumer products at Visa. Since 2023, Gabriela has been leading the Alumni Network’s Mexico Club, and she is thrilled about the potential and the community's excitement to reconnect. It promises a bright future!

Hadi is a senior IT professional with more than 24 years of experience in developing and implementing IT strategy and infrastructure in diverse roles such as professional consultant, certified trainer and trusted advisor at companies including Central Bank of Lebanon, J. Walter Thompson Worldwide, and Microsoft. From 2010-2013, Hadi was at Microsoft in Beirut as a senior ITSM consultant covering NEPA. Currently, he is senior consultant at RMG Renad Almajed and co-founder and CEO of We Grow Minds, a startup company in Lebanon that provides certified training and professional consultancy. He looks forward to bringing alumni together in the Middle East.

Hans started his career at Microsoft in 1991 as an MS-DOS 5.0 support engineer. He later moved into a product manager role for Office 97 and continued his Microsoft career in marketing and sales of Microsoft productivity suite. Hans has a strong passion for technology and loves to solve complex problems. After 32 years, he left Microsoft and started working as an independent M365 consultant and CTO for Adoptify, one of the leading Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption partners in The Netherlands. As club lead, he wants to bring the knowledge and passion of former Microsoft employees together and see how we can thrive on the power AI. Besides technology, he loves to sail, ski and home automation.

While at Microsoft from 2007-2020, Daniel had the mission to empower every team member to achieve more, from a sales perspective, from a delivery perspective, from an execution perspective and a people management perspective. His roles spanned sales, MCS, STU and EOU. With over 25 years in the IT industry, today he is cloud and technology strategy lead of Deloitte in Portugal. He is passionate about helping enterprise customers adopt cloud technologies to solve real day-to-day business challenges and increase their top line. He became the Alumni Network’s Club co-lead in Portugal in November 2023, and he is thrilled to support the alumni community.

Vanda Jesus was at Microsoft from 2012-2020, where she worked as CMO & PR Lead. With over 20 years of experience in business consulting, business development, and marketing, she is currently managing director and Portugal country head of iCapital, a global platform for alternative investments. Her mission is to drive digital transformation, customer engagement, and business growth in Portugal and beyond. In November 2023, Vanda became the co-lead for the Alumni Network’s Club in Portugal, and she is thrilled to support the community in a variety of ways, including networking, collaborating, and helping people grow in their careers.

Ankur Kothari was at Microsoft from 2006-2014, where he was managing various business units including OneNote, Security and Compliance, and Exchange. In 2014, he founded Olive + Goose, a business and technical consulting services organization with a focus on Microsoft cloud technologies. As president, he oversees the business and operations for the company. Ankur has been a board trustee with the Microsoft Alumni Network since 2018, and he became club lead for Spain in 2020. One of his main goals for the region is to connect members and build a stronger community!

From 2000-2017, Andrés was in leadership roles at Microsoft in the areas of business development, program management, and channel sales. Passionate about the resilience of the human spirit and the magic of technology, his career in the software industry spans 20-plus years in Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Currently based in Madrid, he is proud to continue to be close to his Microsoft network, for it is the main foundation of his journey. It has allowed him to stay close to an amazing group of people and involved in the cutting edge of technology. “Together, we can continue to make a positive impact to society,” he says.

At Microsoft from 2019-2013, Linda was an enterprise sales manager partnering with industry customers to help them innovate and grow their business. She is currently the regional sales manager for the Nordics for Alludo. Her experience demonstrates a broad understanding of IT systems and technologies, as well as a strong commitment to delivering high-quality results to her clients. Linda is based in Sweden and is excited to be the Alumni Network’s Club Lead in the region and connect people, share experiences, and make a difference together.

Thorsten started his career at Microsoft in 2008 as a solution sales professional for SQL Server and Biztalk in EPG. When he left in 2017, he was a global services account executive for the pharmaceutical sector. Thorsten is currently CEO and executive board member at Option 4.0 AG, a Microsoft data & AI cloud native partner and is also chairman of the board at Cloudspirit. In 2023, he started the Alumni Network’s Switzerland Club. He’s excited to be the club lead because he enjoys initiating and developing new ventures. Thorsten is looking forward to growing club membership and making it a lively venture with the help and support of interested people.

Frank spent 20 years at Microsoft in various roles including general manager of international organizations including UN, NATO, and the World Bank. His final role was as GM of Affordable Access and Smart Financing in Microsoft’s 4Afrika Initiatives from 2014-2018. Today, Frank runs the consulting firm, Global Good Net Works, developing strategic partnerships and helping African companies find partners and investors. Frank became the UK club lead in 2019. He is a consummate networker and loves the ever-growing network of alumni. He’s fascinated by getting to know new people and their. So, being the UK Club co-lead enables him to do what he enjoys!