What happens when you give a start-up mindset the scale of a global giant?
100,000+ employees.
Global systems integrator.
Layers of process that can slow anyone to a crawl.
And yet, a Microsoft business unit emerged that runs like a start-up.
Fast.
Innovative.
Able to get new ideas to market before the keynote’s even finished.
In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, we cover:
-The “creep” from hands-on engineer to strategic leader (and how to plan for it)
-Why leaving after 17 years made him better when he came back
-How to build GTM plans before Satya’s even finished the keynote
-The real enterprise play in Sovereign Cloud & AI
-Why upskilling sales teams is just as important as technical teams
-Leading with ambition and humanity inside a huge organisation
Adam’s career path is part roadmap, part reality check for anyone trying to move fast in a big corporate without breaking it.
🎧 Full episode live now!
If you’ve tried to build a Microsoft practice inside a big corporate, how did it go?
Think you need a master's degree to lead global Microsoft Security Strategy?Wrong, Jason Revill started with a train ticket to Hull, now he is.... Global Microsoft Security Practice Director at Avanade! Shaping Security strategy used by the world’s biggest enterprises in the GenAI era. But his career started with a £7k loan, a train to Hull and a big bet on becoming an expert in Microsoft technology hardly anyone knew how to use! 🎙️ On this week’s Microsoft Mentors: ➡The £7k bet that unlocked his career (and why MIM still has a place in his heart) ➡ Building Avanade’s Security Practice from scratch ➡ Moving from IC to global leader without losing touch with tech ➡ Copilot, agents, and what’s next for Microsoft Security This one’s for you if you're: 👉 Trying to stand out in a crowded consultancy 👉 Wrestling with the IC → Manager transition 👉 Wondering what to bet on next 🔊 Full episode live now! #MicrosoftSecurity #Leadership #Copilot #CareerInTech #ForefrontIdentityManager #MicrosoftPartner #Podcast #Avanade
Straight out of university, he and two mates launched a small MSP in Austin.No capital.No customers.No business degrees.Just curiosity, grit, and a knack for solving real tech problems.Fast forward 25 years…Shane Gronniger is now CEO of GCS Technologies, one of Texas’ top Microsoft Partners:➡️ 45+ employees➡️ 100s of long-term clients➡️ Still 100% privately owned➡️ Still no outbound sales teamHis growth strategy?Earn trust. Educate clients. Stay hands-on with the tech.No lock-in. No fluff. Just real work and real relationships.In this week’s Microsoft Mentors, Shane shares the blueprint:➡️ Why GCS bet big on Microsoft-first security➡️ How to grow without sales reps or investors➡️ What “AI readiness” really looks like in the SMB market➡️ How to keep clients loyal with zero contractsIf you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to go from support engineer to Microsoft Partner CEO, this is your episode.What would you tell your younger self starting out in tech?
How do you deliver outcomes, no matter the platform?
Everyone has the same tools. The difference is what you do with them.
That’s the ethos behind Telana, the new force born from Ancoris + Sundown Solutions.
This week on Microsoft Mentors, we unpack how Telana is blending Azure and GCP to deliver applied innovation, not just technology.
Because here’s the truth:
✅ Innovation isn’t tech for tech’s sake
✅ Buyers don’t care about cloud loyalty
✅ It’s all about solving real business problems
So… Azure or GCP?
Wrong question.
The most exciting projects in 2025 are multi-platform by design because customers want outcomes, not infrastructure debates.
Telana is delivering those outcomes:
>£1.5M annual savings for a retail client through smarter data
>Real-time clinical environments running seamlessly on GCP
>Strategic AI adoption on both Microsoft and Google stacks
@André Azevedo has seen this play before; from Cloudreach’s 30→1000 headcount growth to building Telana’s brand that’s purpose-built for this next era.
We talked:
➡️ What applied innovation actually looks like in the field
➡️ Why Microsoft + Google is a strength, not a split
➡️ The leadership lessons that shaped Telana’s launch
Are you designing your cloud strategy around platforms or outcomes?
#Azure #GCP #CloudStrategy #MicrosoftPartners #InnovationLeadership #AppliedInnovation #MicrosoftMentors #Telana #CloudTransformation
IBM & Microsoft.
Once fierce rivals. Now strategic partners.
If you'd said this in the 80s in the midst of the PC wars, you'd be laughed out of the server room.
Fast forward to today, IBM have a strong strategic partnership with Microsoft and have launched a dedicated Microsoft Practice.
Why?
Because transformation at enterprise scale now demands collaboration at enterprise scale.
🟦 Azure
🟨 Fabric
🟩 Copilot
🟪 AI at the edge of every workflow
Customers are looking for aligned ecosystems.
And IBM’s new Microsoft Practice puts decades of enterprise consulting muscle behind Microsoft’s modern cloud stack.
In this week's Microsoft Mentors podcast, I sat down with Tim Callahan to unpack:
➡️ The vision behind IBM’s Microsoft Practice
➡️ What this means for Azure customers (hint: faster idea-to-impact)
➡️ How IBM is restructuring to fuel transformation, not turf wars
➡️ And why, in a world racing toward AI, it’s not about picking sides, it’s about building bridges
This episode is packed with insight, nuance, and a few throwbacks to OCS and Blue Yonder mailboxes 👴
What do you make of the IBM + Microsoft alignment?
It started with two people in a pub… and ended with 250 people queuing outside a packed-out Azure event.
That’s how you build credibility in the Microsoft ecosystem.
Before Azure was mainstream, Elastacloud were deep in the weeds. Writing tools, building community, and backing the tech nobody else cared about (yet).
Richard Conway and Andy Cross didn’t just spot the trend.
They help make it happen.
➡️ Founded the UK Azure user group
➡️ Trained 200+ Microsoft Partners
➡️ Got seconded by Microsoft to onboard customers at scale
That traction led to big data specialism, high-performance projects, and eventually, acquisition by Acora.
Now Richard’s CTO of a modern MSP, helping mid-market customers navigate the same cloud journey Elastacloud once pioneered.
If you’re trying to build credibility as a Microsoft Partner, this is how it’s done.
Since refocusing his attention on his own health and fitness (and dropping 30kg!) Hugh rediscovered his energy and built a culture that runs (literally) on wellbeing.
His big realisation?
Making time for your health + fitness doesn’t slow the business down.
It supercharges it.
🏃 Valto Run Club now takes 10+ people out every Thursday
⛰️ They’ve just hiked all 15 Welsh 3000s in under 24 hours for charity
💬 And some of the most honest business conversations now happen mid-jog, not in boardrooms
And it’s led to clear, measureable results for the business... ➡️ Stress is lower
➡️ Retention is up
➡️ Performance is stronger
➡️ And the business has scaled to 50+ people with a genuine culture of care
Hugh shares the full story on this week’s episode of Microsoft Mentors; from burnout to business breakthrough, and how he's weaving wellbeing into the Microsoft Partner playbook.
If you're a founder, leader, or future CEO in the Microsoft space...
This one’s a blueprint for building a business that’s fit for scale, and fit for life.
Grow to scale or grow to sustain?
The founder dilemma no one talks about enough.
Big vision. Bigger risks.
And a million micro-decisions in between.
This week’s Microsoft Mentors Live is a proper deep dive with Mitesh Chauhan — founder of LA Net.
We cover the gritty side of building a Microsoft services business from scratch:
Wearing every hat — delivery, sales, accounting, hiring
Training talent from scratch (and watching them outgrow you 👀)
Walking away from easy revenue to protect your niche
The big question we kept circling back to:
➡️ Are you building to scale?
➡️ Or building to sustain?
Two very different mindsets.Two very different outcomes.
Neither wrong — but one will burn you out if you’re not honest about what you're really chasing.
🎙️ It’s one of my favourite chats so far — and a must-watch for anyone growing an MSP, Microsoft Partner, or technical consultancy.
£18m → £100m revenue
50 staff → 170 employees
And a Microsoft Practice they never meant to build.
This week on Microsoft Mentors, I sat down with Rob Quickenden, CTO at Cisilion — who shared how a “defensive move” to stop losing Cisco clients to Skype for Business accidentally became their biggest growth engine.
We unpacked:💥 How Cisilion evolved from a Cisco-first shop to a dual-vendor powerhouse
💥 Why Teams was the tipping point — not just for tech, but talent
💥 The very real challenge of staying relevant as a Partner while growing fast
💥 And what’s next with Copilot and AI.
It’s rare to hear a Microsoft Partner story told this honestly.
"We've signed 15 new customers, hired 7 people and will have achieved x2 Microsoft Solution Partner designation in the first 12 months!"
Today’s Microsoft Mentors episode features Chris, co-founder of Mondo Cloud, one of the UK’s newest Microsoft CSPs!
➡️ From running bars in a football stadium
➡️ To leading Cloud transformation in a £100M+ MSP
➡️ To launching Mondo Cloud from scratch last October
It’s a story of betting on yourself, building from the ground up, and putting service levels back where they belong, at the centre of the relationship.
We covered:
✔️ The MSP acquisition cycle, and why service breaks post-M&A
✔️ How 365 leads into Azure (and what to watch for)
✔️ Start-up pain points, tech stacks, and Partner Centre nightmares
✔️ Why “first fix” is Mondo’s north star
✔️ And his biggest learnings as a brand new CSP
🎙️ Listen here on LinkedIn Live or on Spotify / YouTube
If you’ve ever had to fight Partner Centre… You’ll feel Chris' pain 😅
"With Azure, you've won an empty bucket... and the right to fill it with gold."
That line from James Marshall stuck with me.
Because it perfectly sums up how different selling Azure is compared to traditional IT services.
In the old model? You won a deal, delivered the solution, and moved on.
In Azure? Winning the deal is just the start. You’ve won the right to go deeper — to fill that bucket with value, consumption, and impact.
💡 But here’s the catch: most partners are only filling that bucket a quarter full.
They do the first migration… maybe a DR plan… and stop there. Then it’s on to the next shiny new customer.
James and I dug into:
Why partners stall after the first project
The mindset shift from acquisition to expansion
How the best are using specialization, standardization, and data to scale
The “Rule of 78” and why Q1 is way more important than Q4
Why GenAI will follow the same journey infra engineers did with Azure
🔁 This episode was packed with insight for Microsoft Partners — especially those growing Azure practices in CSP.
If you’re building buckets and wondering how to fill them — or how to stop losing revenue through the holes — this one’s for you.
Ever wonder what actually happens at Microsoft's MVP Summit?
Azure MVP Jonathan D'Aloia gives us the low down...
Well, more of a feel for what it's all about... the event and MVP's are under NDA after all!
We covered a lot of ground though...
➡️ JD’s path to becoming an MVP, specialising in Infrastructure as Code with Bicep & Terraform
➡️ Real-world advice on building AI-ready data platforms using Azure Databricks, Fabric, and Synapse
➡️Tips for aspiring MVPs, how to start contributing, find your niche, and deal with imposter syndrome
➡️ What really happens at the MVP Summit: product feedback loops, deep dives with Microsoft product teams, and the power of in-person connection
➡️The story behind launching the Surrey Azure User Group
JD’s biggest takeaway?
Community is a game-changer. Whether it’s joining a user group, sharing knowledge online, or just connecting with others in the ecosystem... it all compounds.
🎧 Give this one a listen if you’re building solutions on Azure, eyeing the MVP program, or simply want to get a feel for what the MVP Summit is all about!
We'd planned 10 episode for Series 1, but guess what... we wanted to give you ONE more!
Not only that, but our first ever in person podcast with Curtis Milne, Microsoft Azure MVP for IaC and Liverpool's very first Microsoft MVP!
We talk about Curtis MVP journey, his passion for mentorship, IaC, Cloud Adoption Framework and much much more!
"The Microsoft Tech Community is in a rocky state in certain elements.. we're here to steady the ship"
This week on Microsoft Mentors: The Podcast, I'm joined by Ethan Sumner, CEO of DevEx Connect.
Ethan has been instrumental in the set up and growth of a number of Microsoft / DevOps Tech community groups.
He know first hand, just how difficult it can be to fund, maintain and grow users groups... the life blood of the tech community.
That's where DevEx Connect comes in... supporting community groups and brining the community together at global conferences!
AND if you're in the North West, you can experience DevEx Connect first hand next week (29th / 30th October).
I'll be there, Camera and Microphone in hand so what more reason do you need to get your tickets ASAP!
Link to podcast and event in the comments 👍
We'll be back on LinkedIn Live in a couple of weeks once we finally work out this bloody tech issue!
COVID nearly killed in-person tech events!
But the Microsoft Cloud community wasn't having it... it was time for them to step in!
This week on Microsoft Mentors: The Podcast I'm joined by Nathan Sweeney.
Nathan in a MVP for Microsoft Azure, AzureAI and M365 Co-Pilot Lead at KPMG and co-founder of The South Coast Summit... one of the UK's largest community led Microsoft Tech conferences.
We delve in his career, the rapid emergence of Azure / M365 AI capabilities and of course, hear the true behind the scenes story of why South Coast Summit was launched and the work it takes to run it!
Listen here on Spotify, Linkedin Live or wherever you get your podcasts!
Me: What have you learnt from 27 years working with Microsoft Technologies?
Ed: Change is a constant inevitability!
This week on Microsoft Mentors: The Podcast, I'm joined by Ed O'Brien, Cloud Practice Director at Sopra Steria.
Starting out in IT in 1997, building Microsoft solutions has been a focus for Ed since day one.
Now he spends his time, building and scaling Cloud Practices to deliver cloud excellence for customers.
We dive into the change in the IT landscape over the course of Ed's career, the massive impact cloud can have for any organisation and how close we are to an AI takeover.
Tune in here on Spotify or wherever you get your podcast!
How the hell do you become a Head of Cloud by aged 30?
Ryan: Well, it started like this...
This week on Microsoft Mentors: The Podcast, I'm talking to Ryan Haraburda - Head of Cloud @ Tesco... all by aged 30.
Ryan's career has sky rocketed, from IT Apprentice to Head of Cloud in less than 15 years.
If you want a lesson in drive, determination, self-reflection and self-learning... grab a cuppa and listen up.
On LinkedIn Live or wherever you listen to your podcast ;)
No matter how skilled the individual team or how reputable the employer... mentorship still plays a MASSIVE part in your career development!
This week on Microsoft Mentors: The Podcast, I'm joined by Richard Cheney - Azure Practice Lead at Cloud Direct (Azure Expert MSP).
Richard's career in Microsoft technologies spans over a decade including over 7 working closely with Microsoft Partners to develop their Public Cloud proposition for Microsoft.
My conversation with Richard hits right at the heart of what Microsoft mentors is all about...
Having open conversation with the successful leaders in the Microsoft eco-system, so we can all learn from their experiences and offer mentorship at scale to the community!
You don't have to be a techie to work in tech!
That's the biggest lesson from todays episode of Microsoft Mentors; The podcast with Paris King from Softcat!
We delve into Paris' first step into the Tech Industry in Softcat's graduate scheme, her progression through a number of different roles within their Microsoft business and ultimately to her current role as Head of Cloud Alliance and Customer Experience.
If you're interested in tech but don't want to be a hands-on techie... Paris' journey is a great example of other career paths within the IT Channel.
Security is, or at least should be, at the heart of all IT strategy... especially in the Cloud.
This week on Microsoft Mentors: The Podcast, I'm joined by Ru Campbell... Microsoft Security MVP and Microsoft Security Practice Lead at Microsoft Security Partner of the Year Winner ThreatScape.
We discuss Ru's route to becoming a Microsoft MVP, his role at Threatscape helping organisations overcome the challenges they face face in cybersecurity, the importance of leveraging the native security features within Microsoft licenses and the future of Microsoft security, including the move to passwordless authentication and the role of generative AI.