Jean-Philippe Courtois, President of Microsoft International

In the past two years, the number of female Country Managers at Microsoft has nearly doubled with this increased focus on gender diversity in leadership. For our fan page, Jean-Philippe Courtois, President of Microsoft International, has committed to a series of interviews with some of the female Country Managers from around the globe, and this interview with VERONIKA ABOUT HER ROLE AS CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA CLUSTER COUNTRY MANAGER is the eighth in that series. Microsoft operates in more than 140 countries around the world, and in each country, we have a Country Manager who is effectively, the CEO of Microsoft in that market. All of these Country Managers report to Jean-Philippe Courtois who is a big advocate for female diversity.

Q: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST INTERESTING CHALLENGE AND/OR LEARNING AS A CM AT MICROSOFT? In my role, I look after 15 emerging countries in Central & Eastern Europe and Central Asia which are all very different both culturally and with regard to business conventions. There are many different religions, traditions and historical contexts. When I started, I felt very challenged to try and understand all these business cultures not to make cultural mistakes. What I learned is that you can’t learn everything. I had to understand the basics, certainly, but then I learned to focus on being authentic and open to learning new things in talking to government officials or customers. They notice and appreciate when you’re trying to be respectful by asking them to advise, rather than trying to be perfect. I learned not to be afraid to not know it all.
Q: WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE ON LEADERSHIP THAT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED? As a leader, I recognize that the people I work with are most important for me. One of the best pieces of advice I got early in my career as a manager helped me a lot. My VP told me to always try to hire the best people and to not be afraid to hire people better than me. It’s from those people that you can learn, and in turn, they will help you succeed.

Q: WHAT STRATEGIES DO YOU USE TO AIM FOR A HEALTHY WORK/LIFE BALANCE? With 15 countries to manage, I have a very busy travel schedule so it’s hard! For me, planning is key. I build regular activities into my calendar like tennis games, get-togethers with friends, vacations, and of course health/beauty-related treatments. Tracking the time in my calendar helps me to ensure I have right balance between time for myself, my family, and the business. But… I believe it is very individual, and this works for me.

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Q: WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER WOMEN WHO ARE CONSIDERING A CAREER IN TECHNOLOGY? Technology today is very diverse. It is lot of fun, and it is also about consumers and changing people’s lives, so I believe it is the right place for women to be. My advice would be don’t be afraid of technology and don’t be afraid to take risks! It’s true that information technology is still a male-dominated field, yes, but women bring something unique to this environment. One example is regarding decision making: women tend to be more thoughtful about decisions and that can make a difference in a team.

Q: WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO WORK AT MICROSOFT? I joined Microsoft 16 years ago as a sales person because for me it was a huge opportunity to learn about advanced business and technology. I am from a post-communist country, so working for an American and international company was a dream come true. Symbolically, for me it represented breaking away from what we “weren’t allowed to learn.” It was freedom.

Q: HOW DOES YOUR ROLE AT MICROSOFT ENABLE YOU TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE WORLD? The countries I cover are emerging markets which really want to succeed. In my role, I am able to help governments to make a difference for their people through technology. One of many examples I am proud of is that we are in the final stages of implementing a government gateway in the Republic of Georgia. This work, which began four years ago with the Government and USAID in Georgia, includes a citizen-facing portal to provide information and valuable citizen services with the click of a mouse. I am amazed to see the results of this type of work across the region, through strategic partnerships with governments, which are producing solutions for citizens that are better than what’s available in some developed countries today.

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