mhance taps former Microsoft exec Andy Cowdrill as CRO

The new hire will focus on driving commercial growth while supporting organic and M&A-led expansion

Cheadle-based Microsoft partner mhance has hired Andy Cowdrill as CRO to deepen ties with existing customers and accelerate commercial growth.

In his new role, he will oversee a combined function spanning sales, pre-sales, marketing, alliances and sales development.

He will also aim to expand into adjacent markets, both organically and through M&A, and boost mhance’s position within the Microsoft ecosystem, with a focus on AI, data and cloud-led services.

Cowdrill spent 17 years at Microsoft, where he held roles including global sales director and global director of data and AI for business applications.

He left the US-based vendor in 2023 to join Telefónica Tech and most recently served as global senior director at Zscaler.

“Joining mhance feels like a natural progression given the strength of its customer base and the clarity of its strategic direction,” said Cowdrill.

“Our immediate focus will be on deepening relationships across our existing customer base while building a scalable go-to-market engine that supports long-term, sustainable growth.

“From there, we will continue to expand our presence in key vertical sectors while bringing the full breadth of the Microsoft platform – across cloud, data, and AI – to our customers in a more integrated, outcome-focused way.”

Chris Allan, CEO of mhance, added: "[Cowdrill’s] leadership will be critical in connecting our technology capabilities to the tangible business outcomes our customers expect.”

The hire comes as mhance is on a mission to expand its presence in the not-for-profit sector while targeting industries such as distribution and construction.

The appointment also follows the organisation’s acquisition by London-HQ SilverTree Equity in September, with the business now focusing on scaling its commercial and technical capabilities.

Allan took the helm of the business three months ago to double down on the company’s Microsoft-first approach and evolve it into a data-driven partner aligned to how customers operate across the vendor’s cloud.

“We will leverage data and AI to help customers understand their business in ways they couldn’t before,” he previously told CRN.