Microsoft's Barclay becomes UK COO
Search under way for a successor to lead the UK SMS&P business
Microsoft's UK partner boss Clare Barclay has been promoted to the role of UK chief operating officer, with a successor yet to be announced.
In an email sent to partners late last night, seen by CRN, Barclay (pictured) said she is "transitioning" into the role of UK COO, reporting to UK CEO Cindy Rose, as she does already in her role as general manager of Small and Mid-market Solutions and Partners.
A search is under way to find her successor, with Chris Perkins taking on interim leadership of the SMS&P business from 1 February. He has led Microsoft's corporate accounts business for the last four years and is a "great supporter" of selling with partners, Barclay said.
She added that she will continue to fly the flag for partners in her new role.
"I have always been and continue to be a passionate advocate for our partner community and will continue to stay connected in my new capacity," she said. "During my tenure, I've been supported by an incredibly strong leadership team, who remain in place to help you grow your business alongside Microsoft and you should not see any changes day to day as a result of this announcement."
Microsoft announced plans to rejig its partner business last week, merging SMS&P and its Enterprise Product Group. At the time, UK partners had said they did not think this global move would have any impact on the UK leadership, suggesting Barclay's announcement may come as a surprise.
Neil Murphy, managing director of Microsoft partner Bytes, congratulated Barclay.
"She's got plenty of experience, that's for sure, and I have no doubt she will do a really good job in that role," he said. "There is a good opportunity for someone to step up and continue the good work she has been doing. I think if the next person can continue to do the good job she's done, we will be very happy. Some of the other guys will relish the opportunity to step into her shoes - and they are big shoes to fill."
Murphy said he believes Barclay will continue to have influence on the UK partner community, and Kelvin Kirby, CEO of Technology Associates, agreed.
"I think that having someone in that role who had a good understanding of the partner relationship can only be a good thing. It's a definite plus. I've known Clare for quite a long time and I think it's well done to Clare, and I wish her every success in that role."
Barclay added: "It's an incredible time in our industry; one that is full of opportunity but also change," Barclay added in her email. "New year is often a time to reflect and it has been incredible to see the impact we have had together with our partners over the last couple of years, as we have helped our customers transform their businesses and have seen rapid adoption of cloud services during this time. I have had the pleasure of leading the SMS&P and partner business over this period and I wanted to thank you for the impact you have had."
In a statement sent to CRN, Microsoft added:
"As of 1 February 2017, Clare Barclay will transition to the role of chief operating officer for Microsoft UK, reporting to Cindy Rose, UK CEO. Clare brings a wealth of experience to the role, having spent 25 years in the IT industry, 18 of those at Microsoft. Clare's leadership in the SMS&P business brings a depth of commercial expertise and knowledge about our partner ecosystem to her new role, which will support broader transformation across the business. Chris Perkins, currently corporate accounts director, will assume responsibility for the SMS&P business on an interim basis. We remain fully committed to our community of 25,000 UK partners and will announce a permanent successor in due course."