Microsoft UK Executives

Gordon Frazer

Managing Director, UK VP, MS International

Gordon Frazer is the Managing Director at Microsoft UK and is a Vice President of Microsoft International. Gordon was appointed to the UK MD role in July 2006, prior to this appointment he spent four years as Managing Director for Microsoft South Africa. Outside of Microsoft, Gordon is on the UK E-skills Industry Board and the UK CBI Higher Education Task Force.

During his long career at Microsoft Gordon has held many key roles. Before becoming Managing Director for South Africa he was responsible for the Enterprise and Partner Group, focusing on Microsoft’s largest customers and partners in the country. Prior to this, he was head of the Business Solutions Group, working with Microsoft partners to develop and deliver line of business applications to organizations. Gordon joined Microsoft in November 1995 in a marketing role, where he concentrated on intellectual property and software licensing issues.

Before joining Microsoft, Gordon was Technical Director at a software development company and had previously worked in financial services and the mining industry. Gordon holds a Bachelor’s degree from Rhodes University in South Africa.

Gordon is married with two children, in his spare time he is a keen rugby and cricket enthusiast.

Andy Hart

General Manager, Advertising and Online Division, UK

Andy Hart is the General Manager of Microsoft’s Advertising and Online division in the UK.

He is responsible for growing Microsoft’s online properties, including MSN.co.uk, Bing, Windows Live, Xbox and Windows Phone.

Andy’s wealth of media experience spans both agency and media owner roles. He has worked across IT, consumer and business publishing, including serving as: MD of UK financial newspaper Sunday Business, CEO of Ask Jeeves UK, CEO of Diageo new business ventures, CEO of A.N.D. , DMGT’s, sitting on the boards of Associated Newspapers and Northcliffe Newspapers. In this latter role Andy was responsible for building digital assets including the Mail Online, Jobsite network, Prime Location, Find A Property, and the AND sales network.

Barry Ridgway

General Manager of Small Medium Enterprises and Partners Group

Barry Ridgway was appointed as the General Manager of SMS&P (Small, Medium Solutions & Partner Group) for Microsoft UK in August 2010.

Prior to this appointment Barry Ridgway worked as the Chief of Staff for the Office of the Chief Operation Officer (COO) at Microsoft; where he was responsible for supporting the COO with all aspects of Sales Marketing and Services business planning, strategy development, and operational management. He was also responsible for managing the COO’s external engagement with customers and partners across 80+ subsidiaries in over 190 countries around the world.

Barry has been at Microsoft for 14 years, 12 of which were in the WW Public Sector Sales organization. Barry worked as the Government Industry Sales Director for Microsoft Asia Pacific for 3 years. He spent 8 years in the Microsoft US Public Sector group where he managed the US Air Force & Defence Agency business and he also served as Regional Sales Director in Microsoft’s US State and Local Government Industry Group. Barry also spent one year working at Microsoft’s WW Public Sector Headquarters in Redmond, WA as Director of Operations and Business Strategy. Prior to joining Microsoft Barry worked for a US based Large Account Reseller in Sales and Marketing for 3 years.

Colin Brown

General Manager, Microsoft UK services

Colin joined Microsoft in 2008, as general manager of Microsoft UK’s services business. He leads a team actively engaged in helping customers realize the full potential of their investments in Microsoft technologies.

Colin brings more than 20 years of technology industry and leadership experience to Microsoft. He began his career as analyst and programmer with the Department of Trade and Industry and then joined Computacenter in 1989. He held a number of senior management positions with Computacenter during his tenure in the UK and overseas, including government sector director and CEO of Computacenter Germany.

Belfast born and educated, Colin holds a degree in political science and economic history from Queens University, Belfast. He lives in Hertfordshire, is married with two daughters, and is a keen football fan, an active participant in music and an occasional golfer.

Chris Parker

Senior Director, Law and Corporate Affairs

Chris leads the Law and Corporate Affairs team in the UK.

He has significant legal and corporate affairs experience in the information technology industry. Prior to joining Microsoft, Chris was Senior Counsel for Apple Europe and Legal & Government Affairs Director at Compaq. He also spent more than 17 years at Digital Equipment Co. Ltd (DEC) in various legal roles.

His main areas of expertise are IT licensing, Intellectual Property and competition law. He has been involved in a number of competition investigations, by both UK and EU authorities and was instrumental in settling the European Commission's investigation into DEC in 1997 (the Digital Undertaking).

Chris is an English barrister and holds a law degree from the University of Hull.

He is married with two sons. His hobbies include history, gardening, skiing and supporting Chelsea Football Club.

John Jester

General Manager of the Enterprise and Partner Group

John Jester is the General Manager of the Enterprise and Partner Business at Microsoft UK. John was appointed to the UK EPG role in March 2011, prior to this appointment he spent three years as General Manager of Microsoft’s Global Accounts business where he was responsible for managing Microsoft’s top 100 Enterprise Accounts.

John has been with Microsoft for eleven years starting out in the field on the east coast of the US. John relocated to corporate headquarters in Redmond, WA in 2001 and has had a variety of roles including: Leading the US Critical Situation Management process and team, General Manager of the Americas Incubation business responsible for driving sales of Microsoft’s new and acquired products, and most recently leading the Global Accounts business.

Prior to joining Microsoft John led several software development practices and sold software based on the Microsoft platform. He has a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.

John is married with two children. In his spare time John enjoys golfing, sports car racing, and scuba diving.

Mark Taylor

Director of Developer and Platform Evangelism Group

Mark Taylor joined Microsoft in 1993 working in enterprise services sales.

Until 2000 Mark held various executive roles including leading Microsoft Consulting Services and Product Support Services. In November 2000 he moved over to start up the UK business of Avanade, the System Integrator joint-venture between Microsoft and Accenture. Within 3 years the UK business of Avanade became the most profitable and active world-wide. Avanade now employs 6000 consultants world-wide and 4500 software professionals in India.

Returning to Microsoft in July 2007, Mark leads the Developer and Platform Group in the UK, which is responsible for the technical audience marketing, developer tools sales and product marketing, new and emerging technologies and devices, relationships with key high-profile brands, independent software vendors, further education students and academics, start-ups, venture capitalists and consumer technology enthusiasts.

A former developer and self-confessed gadget junkie, Mark is passionate about the role of technology and software in enabling the future.

Neil Thompson

General Manager of Consumer Channels Group (CCG)

Neil Thompson has overall responsibility for Microsoft's newly formed Consumer Channels Group here in the UK. CCG brings together Microsoft’s Retail, OEM, Distribution, MCB and Communications Sector channel teams into one organization and is the single point of accountability for all of the UK subsidiary’s in-market consumer channel and product partner activity across all device platforms, Windows PCs, Windows Phones and Xbox 360.

A Bachelor of Economics graduate from Loughborough University, Neil joined Microsoft 19 years ago and has subsequently held a variety of senior marketing management roles throughout the UK and EMEA. Neil says his proudest moments have been witnessing the positive impact Microsoft products have on people’s everyday lives.

Neil believes the next few years will be an incredible journey for Microsoft as we build our consumer business to new levels of success and feels very proud to be part of that journey in the UK subsidiary.

Dr Nicola Hodson

General Manager, Public Sector

Nicola joined Microsoft UK in October 2008 in the role of General Manager, Public Sector. She is responsible for driving business and relationships across a number of customer segments, including Central and Local Government, Health and Education. A key focus for her is to introduce and deliver new capabilities to solve customers’ core business problems and opportunities.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Nicola was Executive Director at Siemens IT Solutions and Services, where she managed a range of IT and business process outsourcing contracts for customers in the Public Sector, Financial Services and Manufacturing industries in Great Britain and Ireland.

Nicola joined Siemens in 2003 as Executive Management Director in charge of Business Development, with responsibility for all strategic sales across the portfolio, and for sales and bid process, bid management, strategic partner and proposition management and redeployment activities. She also worked on a number of acquisitions and corporate projects, including major reorganisations, TUPE transfers, pension scheme changes and restructuring projects.

Prior to Siemens, Nicola led BPO sales in the UK at CSC and sold a number of systems integration and consulting projects in the energy, FMCG and manufacturing sectors. She has also worked for Ernst & Young Management Consulting selling and delivering a number of transformation projects in the energy and utilities sector.

Nicola is married with three sons and two stepsons, who keep her both busy and grounded in the hurly burly of busy family life. She loves outdoor pursuits including off road biking, skiing and when she does get a moment to herself as a keen motorbike enthusiast she enjoys riding her Ducati. Quieter moments will find her entertaining or reading ...

Theresa McHenry

UK HR Director

Theresa was appointed as HR Director for the UK in November 2011. Her role is to drive forward the people strategy for the UK, to attract, develop and retain great talent. Theresa works closely with the UK leadership team and oversees the development of innovative HR initiatives which look to increase employee satisfaction and grow the business. She leads a team of HR professionals focused on staffing, development and compensation and benefits.

In addition to her six years at Microsoft, Theresa’s 20 years’ experience in HR includes leadership roles at companies such as Royal Bank of Scotland and Cable and Wireless. She holds an LLB and a post graduate diploma in Psychology and is a chartered member of the CIPD. Theresa is married with a young daughter and lives in Hertfordshire.

Scott Dodds

General Manager of Marketing and Operations

Scott Dodds is the general manager of Marketing & Operations for Microsoft UK

His remit covers orchestrating the direction and success of the sales, marketing and services resources in each of the business groups, strategy and planning for the UK subsidiary, as well as leading the marketing teams responsible for promoting the company's consumer and commercial products and services.

Previously, Scott headed Small, Medium Sized Enterprises and Partners group, focusing on driving double digit growth and propelling Microsoft to lead the mid-market in the UK and cultivating a more competitive spirit among employees.

Scott has more than 20 years experience in engineering, sales and management. He joined Microsoft from Acer, where he was managing director of Acer UK & Ireland and on the European management team for Acer EMEA. Prior to this, Scott worked seven years for Compaq UK in various management roles – latterly as general manager of UK Channels, responsible for all of Compaq’s direct and indirect partner teams.

When not working, Scott plays an active role in the community as a school governor, and enjoys spending quality time with his wife and two children. He is a keen sportsman, who enjoys playing golf, tennis and watching rugby.

	Gordon Frazer Managing Director, UK VP, MS International		Andy Hart General Manager, Advertising and Online Division, UK

	Barry Ridgway General Manager of Small Medium Enterprises and Partners Group		Colin Brown General Manager, Microsoft UK Services

	Chris Parker Senior Director, Law and Corporate Affairs		John Jester General Manager of the Enterprise and Partner Group

	Mark Taylor Director of Developer and Platform Evangelism Group		Neil Thompson General Manager of Consumer Channels Group (CCG)

	Dr Nicola Hodson General Manager, Public Sector		Theresa McHenry UK Human Resources Director

	Scott Dodds General Manager of Marketing and Operations

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