CEO, Microsoft, 2014-present
A top-five choice for more than half (32) of those who took part in this project, Satya Nadella can be revealed as the channel’s top vendor leader.
Nadella’s success in reinventing Microsoft for the cloud and AI era fuelled a landslide victory, with many impressed with the Midas’ touch he has displayed since the troubled Steve Ballmer era.
One of two Indian-born leaders in the top 30, Nadella has played the long game at Microsoft – joining as a young engineer in 1992.
It’s often said the channel needs a strong Microsoft. Under Nadella, the Redmond-based giant has a $3tn-plus valuation (up from $300bn when he took over) and hasn’t looked as dominant since at least its 1990s ‘Wintel’ period. Reflecting this, eight of our 60 put Nadella top of their list.
Leadership style
While one of only two leaders in the top seven lacking founder status – and unheralded at the start of his CEO tenure – Nadella has successfully led Microsoft into two new eras of computing. Cerebral, and possessing a quiet charisma, he also won plaudits for his understated manner and emphasis on diversity.
Low points
Nadella has taken heat on many fronts during his decade in charge, with Microsoft’s failure to control its carbon footprint as it constructs more datacentres to support AI workloads the source of one of his more recent run ins.
Killer quote
“The next time you are in a meeting, ask the quietest person what they think.”
What our panellists said about Nadella
Graham Charlton, CEO, Softcat
“I chose Satya because it takes a rare combination of intellect, vision and courage to reinvent an already wildly successful organisation. As a result, Microsoft have retained a position of leadership in the constantly disrupted world of technology.”
Karen McLoughlin, senior vice president, EMEA services and global CoE, Insight
“He’s a powerhouse of change, reserved and controlled.”
Phil Doye, CEO, boxxe
“Did Satya have lucky timing, or was he just a genius? He definitely took over at a perfect time for both Microsoft and the wider market. He also inherited a business that could only go up after years of troubled leadership and disastrous acquisitions. But in a refreshingly thoughtful and understated way he has taken Microsoft to global dominance. Let’s not forget Microsoft market cap was $300bn when he became CEO in 2014 and 10 years later it is $3.3tn.”
Alex Smith, Vice President of Channels, Canalys
“When Satya took over at Microsoft, it was already a dominant player in tech, but was under threat from a number of forces including cloud, mobility, and consumerisation. Companies like Amazon, Apple and Google were emerging as new kids on the block (in the enterprise world) while Microsoft was looking like an ageing dinosaur. Satya embraced the trends and rode Microsoft to new heights, bringing with it a massive ecosystem of partners that feast on Microsoft adjacent opportunities. Microsoft may not be the most popular vendor in the room (due to bureaucracy), but it drives significant portions of the partner economy.”
Nicola Saner, MD, Chorus
“I strongly admire those that have worked through struggles to achieve great things and aim to leave the world a better place. Satya Nadella has done incredible things to shape Microsoft and given it a truly innovative focus and become more purpose-driven. He has done this by starting with Microsoft’s culture and focusing on collaboration and continual learning – with a desire to make a difference to the world. For me, I love that at its core he has made Microsoft be a ‘people’ company instead of a ‘tech’ company – something I also strive to do and aligns with Chorus’s mission statement of ‘using technology to put people first’.”
Rupert Mills, Director, Krome Technologies
“His ability to take a behemoth like Microsoft and re-invent its business model from the inside is hugely impressive. Change is difficult to bring about and he’s done it in a huge business, not once but twice in my opinion (cloud and AI).”
Rye Austin, CCO, Core Technology Systems
“Satya Nadella has demonstrated exceptional leadership by driving massive growth at Microsoft while delivering a significant change in culture. Despite my initial doubts about his ability to impact change within such a large organisation with established practices, he has managed to transform the company, ensuring its continued leadership in the tech industry. Not only has he achieved these results, but he has also placed a strong emphasis on diversity, making him an inspiring figure.”
How did IT Channel Oxygen compile The Century’s Greatest Vendor Leaders? See here
