Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Languages
Certification
Timeline
Languages
Education Certifications Recognition
Languages
Education Certifications Recognition
ADRIAN MICHELS

ADRIAN MICHELS

Director Business Development
Issaquah,WA

Summary

" I am known for my versatility in both deep technical and strategic business conversations."

Experienced technology sales professional with over 10 years of expertise in technical pre-sales, consulting, and technology delivery within the Federal Civilian space. Proven track record in engaging with key customer technical decision makers, leading complex technical wins, and leveraging partner ecosystems to drive strategic initiatives. Adept at building trust and transparency with government stakeholders, and committed to advancing cybersecurity defense through innovative solutions. Holds certifications in relevant technologies and possesses deep knowledge of cloud and hybrid infrastructures. Dedicated to empowering organizations to achieve more through a growth mindset and customer-first approach.

Overview

26
26
years of professional experience
1
1
Certificate

Work History

Director Business Development US Alliances

Kyndryl
Redmond, WA
08.2023 - Current
  • Manage various teams (as either virtual team or my own team) of eight Alliance Business Development Executives to increase business with Kyndryl end customers
  • Focus on Microsoft Alliance
  • Identify and support opportunities to increase business with Microsoft especially with Public Sector, Manufacturing, Healthcare and different Microsoft technologies such as, Microsoft Security Products, generative AI, Copilot, Azure, Data and AI, Modern Work and Dynamics 365
  • Working currently with customers, like Florida Power and Light, California correctional facilities, Homeland Security, RTX, General Dynamics, Housing and urban development (HUD) Reston Consulting Group, CIV Commerce Census, and many others
  • Influencing deals only in Public Sector in the last quarter of $70M
  • Support closing deals and shortening the Sales cycle
  • Responsible for Pipeline Management, Account Management, Capability Development and Sales Excellence
  • Talking to Customer leadership about Microsoft Security Products, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft modern work about business value, and helping with Architectural design sessions on those products
  • Organizing Partner Security Summits with Kyndryl and Microsoft speakers for Public Sector and manufacturing companies
  • Technical Sales Enablement for Developers and consultants how to work with Microsoft technologies
  • Work on repeatable solutions, to increase revenue and shift from Mainframe business and managed services to more hyperscaler business
  • Working with Executive leadership at Microsoft and Kyndryl, to find strategies to grow the business
  • Technical training on Entra ID, Copilot for Security, M365 Copilot, Copilot Studio and Azure Open AI and holographic computing
  • Develop demos and minimal valuable products to show to customers and Partners internally and externally
  • Speaker at Microsoft Ignite and NRF on Kyndryl’s position on Artificial Intelligence
  • Technical and Sales Training on Artificial Intelligence and Copilot (Github Copilot; M365 Copilot; Preview Dynamics 365 Field Service Copilot)
  • Influenced and supported opportunity pipeline for more than 450M USD in the US in the last fiscal year

Senior Technical Specialist Mixed Reality & Metaverse Lead / Microsoft Partner Organization / HQ

Microsoft Corp.
11.2021 - 05.2023
  • Managed, mentored, and motivated various teams of technical and solution sellers in multiple industries with focus on convergence of Intelligent Cloud and Intelligent Edge Solutions
  • Created go-to-market strategies and trained on solutions using Mixed Reality with major partners, including DXC, Accenture, HCL, NNIT, Deloitte, and KPMG
  • Delivered high-level executive briefings to diverse range of global clients, including German Ministry of Defense, Boeing, Bell Helicopter, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Lufthansa, Daimler, ABB, Stryker, LG, Corning, Shell, Johnson & Johnson, to showcase potential of mixed reality solutions and secure new business opportunity
  • Trained the federal Surface and device team on Mixed Reality and HoloLens and was partnering with them on Mixed Reality opportunities mainly for Remote Expert help and Step by Step Guidance and Maintenance
  • Rapidly acquired technical proficiency, showcasing the ability to engage in deep technical conversations with engineering within 6 weeks of joining the team
  • Identified and supported global opportunities within mixed reality platform, collaborating with stakeholders to uncover optimal customer solutions and driving pipeline growth to $44M through strategic sales initiatives
  • Created a collaborative 'Proof of Concept in a Box' framework with partner that led to presentations at industry summits and multimillion-dollar deals with 70% close rate, streamlining sales cycle from 18 months to only 3 months
  • Ensured 100% compliance with GXP and GMP regulations to obtain FDA clearance for partners, ensuring business solutions were up to industry standards and adhering to customer requirements
  • Delivered engaging presentations as company representative at conferences, webinars, and other speaking events, focusing primarily on front-line workers in healthcare, pharma, and automotive industries

Senior Program Manager Azure Customer Experience / Microsoft Engineering / HQ

Microsoft Corp.
07.2020 - 10.2021
  • Served as key member of Azure Engineering team and provided direct support to global clients from diverse industries, including healthcare, finance, and government
  • Focused on driving consumption, maximizing investments, and ensuring customer success through close collaboration with product teams to align offerings with evolving needs and expectations
  • Established relationships with C-level and board leaders at Fortune 500 companies, including DP DHL, Adobe, Blackrock, and Thyssen Krupp
  • Implemented strategic initiatives and pipeline management to deliver $250M in Azure Consumed Revenue (ACR), and convinced Adobe to increase their infrastructure on Microsoft Cloud from 21% to 60%
  • Improved BlackRock's infrastructure by identifying root causes and enhancing orchestration and enablement, reducing issue list by 80% and increasing automation, while also providing better-trained personnel
  • Persuaded DHL, an initially skeptical customer, to transition their infrastructure to the cloud and led their team through a seamless first holiday season, resulting in zero public incidents
  • Served as customer-facing engineer and facilitated seamless collaboration between clients including Adobe, BlackRock, and DHL and engineering team, bridging the gap to avoid technical discrepancies and ensuring effective communication and to increase customer satisfaction for different cloud services

Mixed Reality & HoloLens Global Sales Enablement Lead / Microsoft Engineering / HQ

Microsoft Corp.
05.2018 - 06.2020
  • Addressed sales challenges and prioritized advanced applications, such as Remote Assist, Layout, Guides, Product Visualize, and Connected Store
  • Established comprehensive guidelines and resources to enable sellers to drive customer success and increase customer satisfaction
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure worldwide sales readiness and achieved significant growth for mixed reality applications
  • Managed, mentored, and motivated diverse team of partner managers, sellers, product marketing team, and licensing professionals across APAC and EMEA to launch 2nd version of Microsoft HoloLens2, enabling sellers and partners to sell technology and grow pipeline to $14M
  • Developed and executed successful technology boot camps and value assessment workshops to educate new and technical sellers on configuration and business value of mixed reality, resulting in significant increase in device sales and higher customer adoption rates
  • Delivered impactful presentations and keynotes at a variety of international conferences and summits, such as MS Ready, Microsoft Partner Conference, TechReady, Ignite, Executive Briefing Center, and the CIO Summit
  • Enabled cross-selling opportunities for Sales organization by opening doors through value of technology and solution offerings, resulting in increased revenue for Azure, Dynamics, and Modern Workplace business units

Global Compete Lead Security and Modern Workplace / Microsoft Enterprise Sales / HQ

Microsoft Corp.
01.2014 - 04.2018
  • Focused on leading competitive efforts against major players in market, including driving Windows and M365 Compete initiatives against Chrome and iOS, leading Enterprise Mobility Compete against MobileIron, AirWatch, and Soti, and spearheading Security Compete efforts with focus on delivering comprehensive Threat Protection and GDPR Information
  • Worked on a project with the German Ministry of Defense, to implement Intune and Azure Active Directory for Security Policies for their own devices abroad (German Soldiers in the US (for Training) and when deployed)
  • Did Security and Security Compete briefings for i.e
  • Sydney Police Force, Australian DoD, Southern Company, Port Authority of NY, NYPD, Rolls Royce, Telstra, T-Systems, Bertelsmann, Carnival Cruise, and Starbucks, through executive customer briefings
  • Worked with Intune and Azure AD Engineering and Marketing leadership on competitive displacement strategies, in the very early days of Microsoft Intune, learning more about competitive security solutions
  • Presented at high-profile events, including Gartner Symposium, Microsoft Global Xchange (MGX), TechReady, Ignite, Executive Briefing Center, and the CIO Summit, sharing expertise and insights with industry leaders and peers
  • Revamped Nestle's global contract by reducing list of 149 non-functioning items down to 4, extending their contract by 30%, and changing roadmap for future features, enabling partners to generate revenue streams
  • Co-Created Microsoft solution for laptop configuration and deployment (Autopilot) which reduced deployment time from 45 to 12 minutes, allowing partners to produce revenue streams while also outperforming Google by 8 minutes
  • Supported critical deal closures up to $190M by serving as trusted partner to clients during critical closing stages
  • Formed and led team of 8 global compete leads and eventually grew team to 10 professionals, focusing on understanding competition and providing insights into every global deal worth $100M+ to ensure Microsoft did not lose in market
  • Engaged with CxO-level executives and board members at global organizations, including BASF, Nestle, Bosch, Ford, Toyota
  • Owned worldwide quota and recognized for massive revenue increases during tenure, accelerating from $1M in 2014 to $50M in 2017 and ultimately reaching $500M in 2018

Technology Sales Professional Pre Sales Windows & Devices / Enterprise Sales

Microsoft Corp.
Munich, Germany
01.2011 - 12.2013

Services Consultant / Enterprise Consulting Service – Infrastructure

Microsoft Corp.
Munich, Germany
01.2007 - 12.2010

Active Directory Premier Support Engineer / Enterprise Support Group

Microsoft Corp.
Munich, Germany
03.2004 - 12.2006

Microsoft Certified Trainer

Bernecker & Partner
Munich, Bavaria
01.1999 - 02.2004

Education

Associate of Arts - Information And Communication Technology

DITEC, Munich,DE
12-1998

Apprenticeship - Equivalent to 4-Year Degree in US

Bristol Hotel Kempinski , Berlin,DE
08-1990

MBA - Hotel & Restaurant Management

Industrie Und Handelskammer, Berlin, DE
08-1990

High School Diploma -

Geschwister Scholl Gymnasium , Solingen, DE
05-1986

Skills

  • Microsoft Defender
  • Microsoft Sentinel
  • Microsoft Copilot for Security
  • Microsoft Intune
  • Microsoft Entra ID
  • Sales Enablement Leader
  • Partner Enablement
  • Global Partner Solutions
  • Go-To-Market
  • Business Value Selling
  • Partner Managed Services
  • Pipeline Management and Acceleration
  • Mentorship & Training
  • C-Suite Collaboration and Selling
  • Microsoft Data and AI
  • Technical understanding of the Microsoft Platform
  • Modern Work
  • Cloud Infrastructure
  • Cloud Service
  • Hybrid Cloud
  • Enterprise Sales
  • Engineering Relationship

Languages

English
Full Professional
German
Native/ Bilingual
French
Limited

Certification

AZ900

AI900

Timeline

Director Business Development US Alliances - Kyndryl
08.2023 - Current
Senior Technical Specialist Mixed Reality & Metaverse Lead / Microsoft Partner Organization / HQ - Microsoft Corp.
11.2021 - 05.2023
Senior Program Manager Azure Customer Experience / Microsoft Engineering / HQ - Microsoft Corp.
07.2020 - 10.2021
Mixed Reality & HoloLens Global Sales Enablement Lead / Microsoft Engineering / HQ - Microsoft Corp.
05.2018 - 06.2020
Global Compete Lead Security and Modern Workplace / Microsoft Enterprise Sales / HQ - Microsoft Corp.
01.2014 - 04.2018
Technology Sales Professional Pre Sales Windows & Devices / Enterprise Sales - Microsoft Corp.
01.2011 - 12.2013
Services Consultant / Enterprise Consulting Service – Infrastructure - Microsoft Corp.
01.2007 - 12.2010
Active Directory Premier Support Engineer / Enterprise Support Group - Microsoft Corp.
03.2004 - 12.2006
Microsoft Certified Trainer - Bernecker & Partner
01.1999 - 02.2004
DITEC - Associate of Arts, Information And Communication Technology
Bristol Hotel Kempinski - Apprenticeship, Equivalent to 4-Year Degree in US
Industrie Und Handelskammer - MBA, Hotel & Restaurant Management
Geschwister Scholl Gymnasium - High School Diploma,

Languages

  • English, fluent
  • German, native fluency
  • French, speaking and understanding

Education Certifications Recognition

  • Copilot Technical Champ, Distinguished Speaker at the Redmond Executive Briefing Center, Microsoft – Mentorship: Gold, Event Speaker: Gold, Windows Ranger, Microsoft Global Hackathon, Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals, AI Fundamentals, Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT)

Languages

  • English, fluent
  • German, native fluency
  • French, speaking and understanding

Education Certifications Recognition

  • Copilot Technical Champ, Distinguished Speaker at the Redmond Executive Briefing Center, Microsoft – Mentorship: Gold, Event Speaker: Gold, Windows Ranger, Microsoft Global Hackathon, Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals, AI Fundamentals, Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT)

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ADRIAN MICHELSDirector Business Development