Google Cloud Channel Exec Decamps To Microsoft
Nina Harding previously worked at Microsoft from 2003 to 2005 as director of global partner marketing and partner programs.
Nina Harding
Nina Harding, Google Cloud’s chief of global partner strategy and programs, has left the cloud and search giant to become Microsoft’s new corporate vice president for global partner solutions in the United States.
Microsoft published a blog post announcing her return to the Redmond, Wash.-based technology giant. Harding previously worked at Microsoft from 2003 to 2005 as director of global partner marketing and partner programs, according to her LinkedIn account. Her account says she returned to Microsoft in October.
CRN has reached out to Microsoft and Google for comment.
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In her new role, Harding and her team are “responsible for empowering partners to unlock more for our customers- more agility, more efficiency, more innovation, more of whatever their goals are,” according to her LinkedIn. “Microsoft’s US Partner business includes strategy, management, partner sales, and overall partner ecosystem health. To maximize the benefits our mutual customers realize from their investments in technology, the team works with US partners to develop strong practices aligned to Microsoft’s workload and industry priorities.”
Harding worked at Google for more than five years, according to her LinkedIn account. During her time with the company, she grew the “global partner ecosystem 10X across all partner behaviors - ISV, Services, Resellers, Distribution, Tech, Education and grew skills adoption by 25 times.
She also “designed/built/delivered Partner Advantage program for all Cloud partners” and drove “over ($)1B in ecosystem sales through channel, services, and tech partners,” according to her LinkedIn. Her resume includes more than 12 years with SAP. She left the company in 2017 with the title of vice president of global business development and sales programs.
Harding replaces Tyler Bryson, who authored the Microsoft blog post announcing Harding’s new job.
“I am very excited to hand over the reins of GPSUS to such an excellent leader,” Bryson wrote. “Her background and experience will help us continue to support and grow our Microsoft partner community.”
On July 1, Bryson added the role of corporate vice president for health and public sector industries in the U.S. in addition to his global partner solutions U.S. (GPSUS) role. Now, he only has the health and public sector role.
“This is not goodbye from me. In the interim, I will be working closely with Nina to ensure that her transition is smooth,” he said. “Once the transition is complete, I look forward to continuing to work with our partners through the lens of the Health and Public Sector industry.”
Bryson is a 20-plus-year Microsoft veteran, starting with the company in 2002 as an enterprise solutions manager, according to his LinkedIn account.
His LinkedIn post announcing Harding’s return to Microsoft received more than 60 comments, including those from Microsoft and Google employees.
Commenters included ActiCare Health Chief Technology Officer Brent Siler; Piazza CEO Ethan O’Rafferty; Vince Menzione, a former Microsoft channel executive and current CEO of Ultimate Partnerships; Marc Monday, vice president of global strategic partnerships at Sage; Zia Yusuf, senior vice president of strategic ecosystem and industry solutions at VMware; and Tony Guidi, senior vice president of the Microsoft alliance at Core BTS.
Harding’s hiring comes less than a month after reports that Microsoft cut hundreds of jobs as tech vendors start to feel the effects of an uncertain economy.