Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul G. Allen, Microsoft has “become one of the most powerful and profitable companies in American history”. In April of this past year, it became the third US company to pass a market cap of one trillion dollars, with the other two companies being Apple and Amazon.
Currently, there are 800 million devices running Windows 10, which is truly mind-boggling. In addition to its professional success, the company has positively contributed to the environment and the world. Microsoft has operated 100% carbon neutral around the world since 2012. Additionally, the company donated 1.4 million dollars last year to help non-profit organizations.
Such an impressive company requires great leadership. I was fortunate enough to interview the Chief Operating Officer and Corporate Vice President of Microsoft’s Business Applications Group (BAG), Maureen Osborne, and get her commentary on a few of my thoughts.
Maureen is the second oldest of nine children. She grew up in Chicago to two Irish immigrant parents and attended Loyola University in Chicago for both her undergrad and MBA. Before working for Microsoft, she worked at JPMorgan Chase as a line of business COO and the Global Chief Procurement Officer. She also worked at Ernst & Young (EY) as the Global Chief Information Officer.
What does your day-to-day look like in terms of responsibilities as the COO and Corporate VP of Microsoft?
“I’m the COO of the Business Application Group (BAG) at Microsoft, reporting to the CEO of that business. I work with the BAG leadership to manage the overall spend (which is about 5,000 people), improve gross margin of our products and develop strategies that identify investments Microsoft will make in order to grow the business. I also focus on our own customer success, working closely with our top customers to ensure that the products and services we provide are making them successful in their business.”
What is the most rewarding aspect of your position?
“There are two things that I find most rewarding. The first is that I love managing a large group of diverse talent, working with them to develop and grow them personally and to continue to move the business forward. The other aspect I really enjoy is working closely with the customers to learn their business, understand their business strategy and then help them solve real business problems.”
Have the global aspects of your job changed the way you think about smaller-scale issues? Do you find yourself often implementing programs or leadership styles that you see internationally?
“Having been in a global role most of my career, I find myself very aware of cultural styles and differences. As you move through different cultures, you pick up clues as to how to adapt your style to best lead and manage the people who are a part of that culture.”
Do you think being from a large family gave you the leadership skills you needed to succeed professionally?
“Being the second eldest gave me the experience to provide direction and work in a chaotic environment, as well as to build great time management skills. My family taught me how to work hard (and) manage my time to balance school, work and home life. It also taught me how to healthily deal with conflict and to let things roll off my back when they were not important.”
Who would you consider a role model for you? Why?
“There’s not one person that really comes to mind. I’ve had many people that [I have] really looked up to and I have taken the really good things they do and learned from them. But I have equally looked at people’s shortcomings and learned what not to do or how I do not want to lead.”
What has been your biggest challenge as a woman in a mostly male-dominated field?
“My whole career in IT, I have been the only woman in a meeting/room or who had a “seat at the table.” This hasn’t bothered me because I grew up with six brothers and one of my first jobs was on the trading floor designing trading systems which was very male-dominated at the time. I’m not uncomfortable with being in a field that is male-dominated. When the men are talking about sports or going golfing or out for beers, I’ve learned that it’s just fine to talk about something else or organize a different event. But I’ve also gone golfing with them and just stayed on the cart and gone for the experience. You can figure out how to get into those scenarios even if you’re not necessarily part of the men’s group. You can always figure out a way to be part of the discussion.”
What advice can you give to women looking to pursue a career in business?
-
“Women, in general, are not good at asking for what they want. The key to this is all in the approach. We don’t need to demand things but we should ask assertively for what we want. It’s all about how you do it.”
-
“Be constantly looking at ways to put ‘new tools in your toolkit’, i.e. new skills. Doing a job for six months can help you develop three to four skills that will serve you in the future. For example, when I was at JPMorgan, I was promoted out of tech into Chief Procurement. I did that for two years and learned about negotiating, writing contracts and dealing with a variety of non-tech vendors. Now, because of that, it’s on my resume and opens up other avenues.”
-
“When you’re not having fun anymore, it’s time to find a new job. We spend way too many hours at our jobs to not enjoy them.”
What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment, either professional or personal?
“I raised two wonderful children that are hardworking, kind and have good values, and I did that while working full-time. There is nothing professionally that could supersede that for me.”
Is there anything you wish you had done differently when you were my age?
“I wish I could have gone away to school. I don’t regret it but I wish that had been possible. I would have had a different experience with different people that could have shaped me.”
What was the first job you ever had?
“When I was ten years old I delivered newspapers with my brothers. Between the ages of 13 and 16, I worked during the summers for the Chicago Public Schools. I worked 25 hours a week in their youth programs and took the bus every day to Roosevelt High School.”
“After that, I worked at a Hallmark card and gift store for 14 years. Even when I had a full-time job, I worked there on Saturdays because the owner needed me and treated me like family.”
“I have been working most of my life.”
What do you think your younger self would say if she could see you now?
“Every morning I wake and I pinch myself because of what I have: family, friends, success at work. I never would have imagined that I would have had the positions that I had in big global companies. It was a lot of hard work but it is also a gift. I could not ask for anything more.”
All photos provided by Ms. Osborne