Overview
The AI CTO will be the leading voice and evangelist for AI and Data across our Corporate subsegment of the Small, Medium Enterprises & Channel (SME&C) segment in ANZ. This role is the segment’s senior AI technical voice — in the boardroom, in the market, and across the partner ecosystem — inspiring customers and partners on the art of the possible, anchoring the frontier firm narrative, and unlocking growth through credibility-led demand creation.
The AI CTO will be responsible for helping every customer see the full potential of AI and the tangible impact it can have on their business. The mandate spans the full arc of value — from personal productivity (Microsoft 365 Copilot in the hands of every employee) to business productivity (agentic workflows, line-of-business transformation), and from data insights (Microsoft Fabric, Azure Data) through to enterprise-wide business transformation — all secured by design.
The role exists to win the hearts and minds of business leaders, to accelerate AI adoption, to drive measurable revenue, and to lead the development of strategic partnerships to scale impact.
The integrated mandate
Customers buy outcomes, not products. The AI CTO orchestrates a single integrated story across three layers of our technology stack, rather than segmented conversations:
AI — the experience layer customers buy: Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, Microsoft Foundry, Azure AI, and agents.
Data — the AI-ready foundation that makes AI useful: Microsoft Fabric, Azure Data, and Purview governance. No AI without an AI-ready data platform.
Security — the trust foundation everything stands on: Microsoft Defender, Entra, Purview (DLP), Sentinel, Security Copilot and Agent 365.
Only Microsoft owns all three layers end-to-end. This role is accountable for telling that story with authority, with leadership and with a passion for customer outcomes.
ANZ enterprises are adopting AI as a foundational shift, not a feature, and the frontier firm window is FY27. Microsoft is uniquely positioned to help our customers unlock their AI potential end to end, from platform to data to security, all delivered first party. This role is a key lever to help lead the conversation, win the hearts of key stakeholders and to drive the customer transformation opportunity.
At Small Medium Enterprises and Channel (SME&C), we are leading a high-growth, AI-powered global sales team—one that is deeply connected to our partners and driven by customer success. By uniting our Small Medium Business, Corporate, Strategy, and Partner teams, we are unlocking the largest customer opportunity, backed by the industry’s most significant investments. Leveraging the power of AI and our extensive partner ecosystem, we are redefining how businesses of all sizes adopt technology to drive growth and innovation.
SME&C is more than a sales organization—it’s a culture of innovation, opportunity, and inclusivity. Here, you’ll be part of a diverse, high-performing, and customer-obsessed team where collaboration, connection, and continuous learning fuel everything we do.
If you thrive in a fast-paced, digital-first environment and are eager to make a meaningful impact, explore how SME&C can be the next step in your career. Together, we are shaping the future of business.
Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.
Responsibilities
**Customer thought leadership & evangelism **
Engage CIOs, CTOs, CDOs, and CISOs in business led conversations and C-suite / board-level dialogue on AI, data, and security.
Act as the external voice at industry, analyst, and customer forums — a visible, credible authority on Microsoft AI.
Co-create transformation roadmaps for the top SME&C accounts, moving customers from AI curiosity to a clear, sequenced plan.
Help customers see the full potential of AI — from individual productivity gains through to whole-of-business transformation — and de-risk their adoption of frontier capabilities.
**Frontier firm narrative & innovation **
Own the ANZ SME&C frontier firm story end-to-end and be a champion for adoption demonstrated through your own use cases and examples of change.
Translate Microsoft global product signals into ANZ-specific, industry-tailored customer scenarios.
Position an AI-ready data platform as the essential foundation customers must establish before any AI initiative can deliver production value.
**Strategic partnerships **
Shape and own key strategic partnerships — establishing executive technical alignment with top partners for scale execution.
Build joint go-to-market plays across AI, Data, and Security, and activate co-sell motions that expand SME&C reach.
Lead the partner side of the frontier firm story, enabling partners to deliver AI envisioning at scale.
**Internal technical leadership **
Embed technical leadership into account plans, partnering closely with the segment leadership team.
Feed ANZ field signals back to Microsoft product and engineering teams.
Qualifications
**Minimum requirements **
5+ years of technical leadership, including a prior CTO, Field CTO, or Chief Architect role at a hyperscaler, major systems integrator, or large enterprise.
Boardroom credibility demonstrated C-suite presence and a demonstrated thought-leader.
Multi-domain depth deep fluency across AI/ML, Copilot, modern data platforms, and cybersecurity architecture.
Commercial track record a proven ability to convert technical credibility into measurable revenue outcomes.
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about **requesting accommodations.**