Microsoft Corp. named Austen Mulinder as corporate vice president of the Communications Sector on Friday. Mulinder will be responsible for leading and executing Microsoft’s sales and marketing strategy to telecommunications, hosting, media and entertainment companies.
Mulinder will report to Simon Witts, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Enterprise and Partner Group, who said Mulinder brings a wealth of sales and leadership experience from his previous roles and understands the importance of building trusted partnerships with our customers.
“By applying Microsoft innovation, [Mulinder] sees incredible potential in how this sector can create new opportunities through the unique combination of software and services to customers. The [communications sector] in particular are experiencing significant change in the way their customers are consuming digital content through high-speed broadband and mobile services. He believes this provides a significant partnering opportunity for Microsoft.”
Mulinder joined Microsoft in 2007 as vice president for Worldwide Enterprise Sales, where he successfully led the key sales capabilities for Microsoft’s Enterprise business, including directing global and multinational accounts, the incubation and category sales teams, the specialist sales community, and the global compete programs, with an approach that underscored sales excellence through execution. Before he came to Microsoft, Mulinder served as president and CEO of Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc., a wholly owned Fujitsu company.
Microsoft’s also made other recent appointments, including Ralph Young as vice president of Worldwide Communications Sector and Mitch Lewis, general manager of Worldwide Marketing for Communications Sector. Young is a 10-year Microsoft veteran with more than 25 years of experience in the IT industry, including management positions at AccessLine Technologies and Tandem Computers (now HP). He is responsible for the group's integrated industry strategy for bringing together Microsoft's products, standards, architecture, programs, and partners to determine how to go to market in each of the three industry segments.
Lewis also brings more than 25 years of experience in marketing, product management, technical solutions, development and sales, including management positions at Pacific Bell (AT&T), Ericsson, and Dilithium Networks. He is responsible for developing integrated marketing campaigns, programs, and communications worldwide.
Microsoft’s new Communications Sector leadership will focus on helping partners deliver and manage connected experiences across the three screens and increase the opportunities with industry partners by accelerating the demand for netbooks with the launch of Windows 7, extending the PC experience to the phone with Windows Mobile 6.5, and delivering connected entertainment with Mediaroom.
