Microsoft’s Former COO, Kevin Turner, Shares Exclusive Insights from His Microsoft Days with Trusted Tech Team

In this exclusive interview, our President, Julian Hamood, had the opportunity to speak with Kevin Turner, former COO of Microsoft. Turner has been a valuable mentor for TTT’s expansion efforts and future goals. In this eye-opening interview (full video below), Kevin Turner shared valuable insights from his time with Microsoft and revealed why he believes Trusted Tech Team specifically can help companies get ahead in an industry that’s about to leave many behind.

Given Turner and Hamood’s profound expertise within the tech industry, there are numerous key lessons to draw from our discussion. Here are the main highlights you’ll see us cover in the interview:

• Early Cloud Resistance and the Deficit in Licensing Knowledge
• The People-First Model to Business Success
• Microsoft’s Philosophy of Planting a Thousand Flowers
• Generative AI is Bigger than the Cloud
• What Separates TTT and How It Stays Ahead of the Curve
• The Customer ISN’T Always Right, But Something is Always Wrong
• What Makes a Successful Leader

Click below to watch the full interview.

Kevin Turner joined Microsoft in 2005 when the company’s headcount was roughly around 70,000 employees. From 2005 to 2016, Turner helped the tech giant grow to over 114,000 employees through his leadership, operational prowess, and customer-focused mindset. When asked how Microsoft consistently satisfied customers’ needs, Turner emphasized that his teams clenched onto the mentality that “the customer isn’t always right, but something’s always wrong.”

He continued to explain how paying attention to customer feedback helps teams dive into the actual pain and issues customers have that those customers themselves may not even realize. Turner instilled these beliefs at Microsoft - spending “a lifetime doing a better job for the customer [which is] a never-ending journey…”

“The customer isn’t always right, but something’s always wrong” - Kevin Turner

Many industry leaders faced challenges during Turner’s time at Microsoft, like Kodak and Nokia, who eventually were left behind due to their inability to keep up with the ever-changing market. But Microsoft remained resilient despite numerous turbulent market conditions since its founding in 1975 - how did Microsoft achieve that?

Turner emphasized that it all boils down to Microsoft’s philosophy of experimentation and innovation; “planting a thousand flowers and letting them bloom.” This philosophy, which shaped the company’s early investment and success in cloud computing, now drives Microsoft’s strategy in the new AI era. It may be tempting to think how great an opportunity it would’ve been to be part of the early cloud adopters. Nevertheless, Hamood, President of TTT, pointed out that there was much resistance from customers and stakeholders early on. Overcoming that resistance was a huge milestone for both Turner and Hamood. At the time, Turner believed the cloud was as big as it gets. But it ended up crushing all expectations. With generative AI taking the reins, Turner is convinced that both the cloud and AI will reach unprecedented heights. This emerging era is significant - and companies like Trusted Tech Team should get behind it and adopt AI into their workflows.

Huge thank you to Kevin Turner for his time and for sharing his remarkable insights and milestones with us. We hope you enjoyed this conversation, and don’t miss out on our newsletter! Sign up and stay up-to-date on Microsft’s cutting-edge technologies and news.