10 Microsoft operations leaders
Chief operating officer is the title most of these Microsoft leaders hold, at company level for Carolina Dybeck Happe and for the commercial business, Asia, Japan, the UK, Europe South, Americas AI Business Solutions and Bethesda for the others. Two former leaders of business operations and the cloud platform round it out, and three COOs came from CFO roles, which suits a software company setting up a COO function.
Professionals to explore
Aseem Datar
LinkedInExperience: Former Chief Operating Officer, Cloud & Data Platform · Microsoft
As Chief Operating Officer, Cloud & Data Platform at Microsoft (2014-2021), Aseem Datar helped scale the Microsoft Cloud business from inception to more than $30B in annual revenue. After a period as Partner at Madrona (2021-2023), Aseem returned to Microsoft as Vice President, Next Gen AI platform & Quantum (2023-2025) and is now Chief Product Officer & Corporate Vice President. The best fit for operating a new cloud business through rapid growth.
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Carolina Dybeck Happe
LinkedInExperience: EVP & COO · Microsoft
Carolina Dybeck Happe has been EVP & COO at Microsoft since August 2024, a member of the senior leadership team focused on global transformation, operating model design and continuous improvement at scale. The prior role was SVP & CFO at GE (2020-2024), with a board seat at Ericsson and board and audit committee seats at E.ON and Schneider Electric. The pick for operating model and transformation questions at the top of a company.
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George Tsichlis
LinkedInExperience: GM & Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft Japan · Microsoft
George Tsichlis has been GM & Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft Japan since July 2025, after Sr. Finance Director & CFO, Microsoft Japan (2021-2025). Earlier finance roles were Regional Finance Director - Central Eastern Europe (2019-2021), Finance Director, Asia HQ (2018-2019) and Country CFO, Denmark & Iceland (2015-2018). A clear example of the CFO-to-COO path within one subsidiary.
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James Chowanski
LinkedInExperience: CVP & Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft Asia · Microsoft
James Chowanski has been CVP & Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft Asia since September 2026, after VP & Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft Asia (2025-2026) and Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft Japan (2020-2025). Earlier roles were General Manager, WW Marketing & Operations (2016-2020) and Sr. Director, WW Marketing & Operations (2011-2016). COO titles for a country and then a region fit questions on scaling an operating rhythm across markets.
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Kim Akers
LinkedInExperience: Chief Operations Officer, Microsoft commercial business · Microsoft
Chief Operations Officer, Microsoft commercial business since October 2025, leading engineering, enablement and operations for a revenue engine of more than $200B. Kim Akers held CVP, Enablement and Operations for Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (2022-2025), Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Learning (2017-2022) and Corporate Vice President, ISV and Developer Evangelism (2009-2017). Ask about operations for a large commercial business.
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Kim Vogel
LinkedInExperience: Vice President & COO Americas AI Business Solutions · Microsoft
Modern Work, Business Applications and Copilot in North and Latin America make up the strategy Kim Vogel leads as Vice President & COO Americas AI Business Solutions at Microsoft since July 2025. The prior role was Vice President & COO, Americas Modern Work, Security & Surface Business (2024-2025), and Vice President Financial Services (2022-2024) came before. Ask about operations for an AI product line sold through the field.
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Mary Ellen Smith
LinkedInExperience: Former Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Business Operations · Microsoft
From 2013 to 2024, Mary Ellen Smith was Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Business Operations, providing strategic governance for global operations, after Vice President, Microsoft Operations (2011-2013) and President of MSFT Licensing G.P. and Vice President & General Manager, Operations (2006-2011). Now a Stanford DCI Fellow and board director on OPENLANE's audit and risk committees. Licensing and business operations governance are the strengths.
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Orit Greenbaum Lipski
LinkedInExperience: Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft Europe South · Microsoft
The Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft Europe South title has been Orit Greenbaum Lipski's since July 2025. Other Microsoft titles are Director - Business & Sales Operations (2025) and Director - Sales Excellence & Operations (2023-2025) for Central Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Chief Marketing Officer for that region (2021-2024). Regional marketing, sales operations and COO roles together suit questions on sales excellence programs.
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Soraya Scott
LinkedInExperience: Former Chief Operating Officer, UK · Microsoft
Since April 2021, Soraya Scott has been Chief Operating Officer, UK at Microsoft, after GM, Chief of staff to EVP & President, Global Sales, Marketing and Operations (2019-2021), and held sales leadership roles in Australia, including Director, Head of Solution Sales (STU) and State Director, Victoria and Tasmania. A fit for how a country subsidiary is run and how a chief of staff role feeds into it.
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Tim Stuart
LinkedInExperience: Bethesda Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Vice President · Microsoft
As Bethesda Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Vice President since January 2026, Tim Stuart is responsible for end to end execution across studio operations, production, live services, engagement and monetization. Before that, Tim Stuart was Xbox CFO, Corporate Vice President (2015-2026) and VP & General Manager - Xbox (2013-2015). Games studio operations and the finance side of a consumer platform are the areas to ask about.
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Choose the right perspective
Company-wide operating model questions go to Carolina Dybeck Happe, Kim Akers or Mary Ellen Smith, who was Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Business Operations until 2024. For a field or country subsidiary, ask James Chowanski, George Tsichlis, Soraya Scott, Orit Greenbaum Lipski or Kim Vogel; for a product business, Aseem Datar on scaling the cloud business or Tim Stuart on games studio operations.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01When a country or regional COO runs the quarterly business review, which numbers come from headquarters and which does the subsidiary own?
- 02What changes in a COO's job when the person previously ran finance for the same business, as in a CFO-to-COO move?
- 03How should a software company structure operations for an AI product line that is sold through an existing field organization?
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.