Andy Gitsham

'The engineers in my team tend to be involved in strategic projects for our key enterprise customers. They spend a lot of time on site working with our current Microsoft technologies and our future Microsoft technologies; helping customers implement products, implement technology, and get the best value from their Microsoft technologies.'

'I was fortunate enough to be given the chance to build a new business at Microsoft and build the PFE offering – the Premier Field Engineering offering – which is a brand new offering to our customers. We’re doing leading edge work with leading edge technologies, with great people, and we really have a chance to make a difference for our customers.'

'I think if you were to walk down the street or talk to people in the IT industry, they might think the sort of characters that work for Microsoft are your stereotypical technical geek. It’s absolutely not the case. And they’ll probably think as well that there are hundreds of thousands of people who work for Microsoft in the UK and that’s not the case either. We have a very small number of people working directly for Microsoft, we work extensively with our partners and our partner business, and that’s the model we’ve adopted in the UK and, indeed, globally.'

'Career progression for people at Microsoft is really down to the individual. And the great thing about working at Microsoft is that no door is closed, no opportunity isn’t a reality. It’s up to you to craft your next job and your next role or career. Your next role probably isn’t on a piece of paper today. I’ve been quite fortunate to have two or three previous jobs which have all been crafted from a blank piece of paper. That opportunity really does exist for people.'

'In terms of personal qualities, having a role in leadership is a privilege, not a given. And it’s important never to forget that when working with people. At the end of the day, the lifeblood of Microsoft isn’t what ships in white boxes – it’s the people who make that real for our customers. People in my position have to be turned on by getting the right people in the right place at the right job and helping them succeed, and realise their potential.'