Phil Goldie (Microsoft)
Phil Goldie will return to the Microsoft channel in Australia, with plans in place to exit the New Zealand business within four months.
ARN can exclusively reveal that Goldie will assume a senior role running the small, medium and corporate business in Australia, effective 1 April 2019, while also joining the senior leadership team.
“I always tell people this is the coolest gig in the New Zealand tech scene because Microsoft runs the biggest global partner ecosystem of any tech company, so if you’re looking for a channel role it’s the best one there is,” Goldie said.
“I love my team, which is more like a family, and what I really enjoy about working with Kiwis is that they have such an entrepreneurial spirit. There’s just an attitude of wanting to get stuff done.”
The announcement comes almost two years after the executive crossed the Tasman to head up small, midmarket solutions and partners for Microsoft in New Zealand, as revealed by ARN in January 2017.
Since taking the reins of the New Zealand ecosystem of partners, Goldie has spearheaded change during the rollout of One Commercial Partner, billed as the biggest overhaul of the vendor’s channel strategy globally.
During this period, Goldie has architected growth around three core areas within the program, build-with; go-to-market and sell-with, alongside an in-depth recruitment drive locally.
To initiate such change, Microsoft kick-started 2018 with a triple channel hire in New Zealand, recruiting Hamish McNee, Matt Simpson and Daniel Larsen to boost partner capabilities specific to independent software vendors (ISVs).
“We will greatly miss Phil here in New Zealand and cannot let him go without acknowledging his outstanding service," added Barrie Sheers, managing director of Microsoft New Zealand. "This has brought numerous innovative projects to fruition, created strong and lasting relationships with local partners and helped launch many Kiwi enterprises on the world stage.
“We want to congratulate him on this fantastic opportunity and wish him well in his new role with our Australian family. He leaves very big shoes to fill."
Sheers said Microsoft is now seeking a replacement in New Zealand for Goldie before he takes up his new position in Australia.
Since joining Microsoft in 2010, Goldie has held a number of director level roles within the business, spanning server, cloud, corporate accounts and partners.
Most recently, Goldie was responsible for the One Commercial Partner and small medium and corporate business in New Zealand, covering thousands of small business and mid-market customers, in addition to the Microsoft partner ecosystem nationally.
In looking back on his time in New Zealand, Goldie said his “proudest achievement” was launching the revamped Microsoft Partner Awards in 2017.
“That completely represents the modern Microsoft and sums up everything we’ve tried to achieve with our partner programme,” he added. “It’s about making a difference to our customers and making digital transformation more open and accessible for everyone.”
