Jean-Philippe Courtois

About

I have been deeply involved in shaping Microsoft's global trajectory since joining the company in 1984 until I retired in September 2024. Most recently, I served on the Executive Committee alongside CEO Satya Nadella as President and Executive Vice President (EVP) of Global Sales, Marketing, and Operations. In this role, I helped building dynamic ecosystems that ranged from small businesses and start-ups to public sector organizations and global industry leaders. I was at the forefront of Microsoft's transformation into a cloud and AI leader and oversaw the entire commercial business, managing 124 subsidiaries worldwide. In the final chapter of my career at Microsoft, I was Executive Vice President and President of National Transformation Partnerships. I spearheaded initiatives that fostered the digital transformation of national economies, driving sustainable and inclusive growth. I have been a passionate advocate of entrepreneurship for good. I designed and launched a global Entrepreneurship for Positive Impact initiative that accelerated the development of more than 2,500 of the most promising environmental and social impact start-ups from more than 100 countries across the globe. I have been a student, practitioner and now an ambassador of positive leadership. I believe that mission led leaders can unlock the potential of their teams, fostering a culture of well-being, success, and societal impact. This philosophy inspired me to create and host the Positive Leadership (buzzsprout.com) podcast, where I engage with leaders and authors who excel in inspiring others align personal and organizational missions to bring out the best in people. Beyond my Microsoft journey, I am the President of Live for Good , a foundation I co-founded with my family in 2015. This initiative focuses on unlocking the potential of young people from diverse backgrounds through impact entrepreneurship, fostering innovation within a highly engaged community. I’m a graduate of SKEMA Business School, where I serve as Chairman of the Board since 2017. I also held key roles in various global forums such as to Co-chair of the World Economic Forum's Digital Divide Working Group and contributed to the European Commission’s Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Working Group. I’m also a member of the ManpowerGroup Board of Directors, a global leader in HR and recruitment services, and I serve as Chairman of the Mission Committee at OpenClassrooms a leading EdTech company that makes Education accessible to all.