Highlights from Convergence 2004

Previously, Ayala was group vice president of the Worldwide Sales, Marketing and Services Group. The group provides leadership on strategies, policies and programs that integrate the activities of Microsoft's sales and service partners with the needs of Microsoft® customers, including enterprise customers, small and midsize organizations, educational institutions, application developers and consumers, throughout the world. Before taking this role, Ayala served as senior vice president for the South Pacific and Americas Region.

Ayala joined Microsoft in May 1991 as senior director of the Latin America Region, which he expanded from two to nine subsidiaries over four years and oversaw a 90 percent increase in regional revenues. He also has held the position of senior vice president of Microsoft's Intercontinental Region, where he was responsible for investment and growth strategies in developing markets such as Africa, India, the Mediterranean and Middle East, Latin America, Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. Within three years, Intercontinental Region revenue doubled in growth from $500 million to more than $1 billion.

Before joining Microsoft, Ayala spent 10 years with NCR Corp., where he held international assignments including that of sales director for NCR Mexico. From 1985 to 1988, he was a product and sales manager at NCR's headquarters in Dayton, Ohio, where he was responsible for NCR's UNIX product line in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

Ayala holds a bachelor's degree in management information systems.

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