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10 Microsoft developer relations leaders
These ten current and former Microsoft developer relations leaders have held director, senior director, general manager and vice president roles in developer relations, developer advocacy and developer ecosystem work at Microsoft. A reader can learn how developer relations leaders work at Microsoft from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
01—10Ashley Willis
LinkedInExperience: Director of DevRel · Microsoft
Former Director of DevRel at Microsoft (2017–2022), where she was also a Principal Developer Advocate. She later served as Head of Open Source & Developer Communities at Google (2022–2023) and has been Senior Director of Developer Relations at GitHub since August 2023, where her profile says she leads developer advocacy.
Barnam Bora
LinkedInExperience: Director Principal Manager - Microsoft 365 Developer Advocacy · Microsoft
Director Principal Manager - Microsoft 365 Developer Advocacy at Microsoft since September 2021, based in the Melbourne area; his profile says he leads a team of cloud developer advocates. He was previously Developer Advocacy Leader - Microsoft Teams & Graph (2020–2021) and Senior Global Cloud Advocacy Lead - JavaScript, IoT & Python (2019–2020) at Microsoft.
Dan Wahlin
LinkedInExperience: Principal Sr. Director - Agentic AI developer advocacy at Microsoft · Microsoft
Principal Sr. Director - Agentic AI developer advocacy at Microsoft since June 2020; his profile says he focuses on agentic AI developer advocacy, helping developers use AI across the Microsoft Cloud and GitHub. Before Microsoft he was CEO and Chief Architect of Wahlin Consulting (2000–2020).
James Lewis
LinkedInExperience: Director Developer Acceleration · Microsoft
Director Developer Acceleration at Microsoft since August 2024; his headline names the role as Director of the ID@Xbox Developer Acceleration Program. He was previously Senior Creative Partner Programs Lead (2021–2024) and Senior Business Development Manager, Microsoft Game Studios (2020–2021) at Microsoft.
John Papa
LinkedInExperience: Partner General Manager - Developer Relations · Microsoft
Former Partner General Manager - Developer Relations at Microsoft (2023–2026); his profile says he led multiple global developer relations teams during Microsoft's AI-first transformation. He was previously Senior Director - Developer Relations (2021–2023) and Senior Director Principal - Developer Relations (2017–2021) at Microsoft.
Marjorie Betubiza
LinkedInExperience: Director, Business Development, Microsoft Developer Ecosystem · Microsoft
Director, Business Development, Microsoft Developer Ecosystem at Microsoft since March 2026; her profile says she manages strategic partnerships for Azure PaaS, Azure IaaS and parts of the GitHub ecosystem. She previously held senior business development manager and business development manager roles at Microsoft (2021–2026).
Millo Emanuele Ognissanti
LinkedInExperience: Director, Worldwide Developer Experience, Ecosystem & Partnerships Windows · Microsoft
Former Director, Worldwide Developer Experience, Ecosystem & Partnerships Windows at Microsoft (2018–2025). Since May 2025 he has been Director, Product Partnerships at Microsoft AI, where his profile says he leads global product partnerships and ecosystem strategy for Copilot and agent-based AI experiences.
Patrick Chanezon
LinkedInExperience: VP Developer Relations · Microsoft
VP Developer Relations at Microsoft since January 2025, after serving as VP - Cloud Developer Advocacy (2024–2025) and General Manager Cloud Developer Advocacy (2020–2024) at Microsoft. His profile says he helped build Docker from 2015 to 2019 and, from 2013 to 2015, led enterprise evangelism in Microsoft's Developer Experience team.
Phillip Profitt
LinkedInExperience: Director of Developer Relations · Microsoft
Director of Developer Relations at Microsoft since May 2025 and Director of Developer Partner Management since September 2021; his profile says the partner management role helps partner game studios in the Americas. He previously held developer partner management and developer account manager roles at Microsoft from 2014 to 2021.
Tracey M. Frankcom
LinkedInExperience: Director, Developer Partner Management · Microsoft
Former Director, Developer Partner Management at Microsoft (2023–2025); her profile says she led middleware-focused developer engagement across Microsoft's game platforms, including planning, partner onboarding and technical enablement. She held developer partner and account manager roles at Microsoft from 2008 to 2023.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's product area to your question, since cloud developer advocacy, Microsoft 365, Windows and game developer programs each work with different developers. Check whether the person's role is current or former and which product it covered, since both shape what they can speak to.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How does a large software company structure developer advocacy teams across product lines?
- 02How are developer relations teams measured when the goal is platform adoption?
- 03What does developer partner management look like for game studios and independent developers?
Reaching Microsoft developer relations leaders
How can I contact one of these Microsoft developer relations leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: Microsoft, based on profile data retrieved on October 9, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Microsoft developer relations leaders?
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Can an AI agent ask one of these Microsoft developer relations leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot and may describe past or present roles. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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