Work Observation

Microsoft Belgium
Director of Global Partner Solutions
Mr. Erik Kerkhofs

1/30/2024

Jonas Braekeleirs
Artevelde University of Applied Sciences
International Business Management
IBM_1_06
Contents
1. Introduction...................................................................................................................... 3
1.1. The company.............................................................................................................3
1.2. The manager............................................................................................................. 3
1.3. Organogram of the company.....................................................................................3
1.4. Pictures of the day.....................................................................................................4
2. Log with the activities of the day...................................................................................... 4
3. Written report of the interview.........................................................................................6
4. Reflection.......................................................................................................................... 7
5. Appendix........................................................................................................................... 8
5.1. Work observation certificate.....................................................................................8
5.2. Conformation email from coach................................................................................9
5.3. Questionnaire interview with manager.....................................................................9
5.4. Bibliography.............................................................................................................. 9

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1. Introduction
1.1. The company
Microsoft Corporation was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. They are a
global technology leader with their international headquarter in Redmond,
Washington and their current CEO is Satya Nadella. The are known for their software,
like Windows and Office 365. They also specialize in hardware, such as the Surface
line and gaming consoles like Xbox. They are driven by innovation and a collaborative,
diverse culture. The headquarter of Microsoft Belgium is located on the site of
Brussels Airport Zaventem and their General Manager is Marijke Schroos.

1.2. The manager

Mr. Erik Kerkhofs is the Director of Global Partner Solutions at Microsoft Belgium. He
graduated from the KU Leuven with a degree in applied economics and then went on
to work as an analyst for Siemens Atea. He then became an engagement manager for
SAS institute before moving to Microsoft Belgium, where he was responsible for sales
of information worker solutions to large enterprise accounts. He then moved up to
account manager before becoming public sector sales manager. After that he became
the director of technology evangelism & innovation ecosystems. Before becoming
director of global partner solutions, he first was the director of commercial partners
and small, medium and corporate sales.

1.3. Organogram of the company1

Given the complicated structure of Microsoft Belgium/Europe, I couldn’t find one
organogram for Microsoft Belgium, so here is one from the Microsoft organization.

1
(Microsoft Org Chart)

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 1.4. Pictures of the day

General Manager of Microsoft Belgium and

Luxemburg, Marijke Schroos (left) and Director of
Global Partner Solutions, Erik Kerkhofs (right)

2. Log with the activities of the day2

 8:30am – 9am  arriving on site, getting my badging and signing the necessary
documents
 9am – 9:40am  Belux Deli review board
o In this online meeting, Mr. Kerkhofs answered questions from teams who
need some advice on their project. This was for teams in Belgium as well as
abroad.

 9:40am – 10am  PLC weekly checkup

o This was an online meeting with all the managers of Microsoft Belgium. They
discussed on how they can do better and receive additional training via
Vivalearning/LinkedIn Learning/MS Learn/MCAPS – academy.

 10am – 10:30am  GPS Leads

o In this particular online meeting, all the directors of global partner solutions in
Microsoft in Western-Europe (+-10 countries), gave an update on their current
status as well as their future plans.

 10:30am – 11am  break

2
There won’t be any details, because an NDA was signed

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 11am – 12:40pm  GPS Quarterly connect – Partnership Microsoft/Ingram
o Here they discussed the financial status of their partnership. In this Quarterly
Budget Review, they went into details about the numbers as well as the
challenges and goals they have in their partnership. They also discussed on
how to move along with their partnership.

 12:40pm – 1pm  lunch

 1pm – 1:30pm  SMB results/Azure Consumed Revenue (ACR)

o When looking at the budget, they compared Belgium to the Western-Europe
average. They also looked at how much they were over/under the budget and
how much they billed their clients. They also compared the companies with
whom they have partnerships with each other.

 1:30pm – 1:40pm  break

 1:40pm – 2pm  conducting the interview (See )

 2pm – 3:45pm  GPS quarterly connect – Microsoft/Infinigate Cloud

o This in person meeting was set by Infinigate Cloud in order to convince
Microsoft Belgium to do a partnership. They discussed the possible market
strategies and what they would expect from each other if they did the
partnership.

 3:45pm – 4pm  break

 4pm – 6:30pm  QBR – Quarterly connect Q3 – Microsoft/Element 61

o They looked back on their partnership and about the evolution they made.
They also looked forward to the future and what possible strategies they
might consider.
 END

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3. Written report of the interview3 4
Encouraging Innovation:
Mr. Kerkhofs emphasized the importance of fostering a culture conducive to
entrepreneurship and a growth mindset within the team. He highlighted the need for
individuals to feel empowered to challenge the status quo, ask questions, and actively seek
improvements for partners and customers. He stressed the importance of creating
opportunities for learning, such as "Learning Fridays" and hackathons, to enable individuals
to acquire new skills and apply them innovatively.
Optimizing Team Structure for Collaboration:
Regarding team structure, Mr. Kerkhofs emphasized the dynamic nature of team structures,
which are adjusted annually to align with market realities. He highlighted the importance of
both formal and informal structures, such as virtual teams, in facilitating collaboration both
internally and externally with partners and clients. He emphasized the need for flexibility in
organizing teams, leveraging modern collaboration tools to work effectively across borders.
Successful Partnerships:
Mr. Kerkhofs provided an example of a successful partnership that led to improvements
within his team. He highlighted the strategic decision to focus more on a particular local
partner, despite initial revenue not being significant. This decision, driven by market insights
and organizational strategy, demonstrated the effectiveness of deviating from conventional
approaches and allocating resources based on potential growth opportunities.
Anticipated Changes:
Looking towards the future, Mr. Kerkhofs anticipates constant change driven by factors such
as advancements in AI and shifts in market dynamics. He expects increased collaboration
within ecosystems, even among competitors, and foresees the emergence of innovative
business models. Adaptation to market demands, enhanced collaboration, and the evolution
of business models are expected to shape future organizational structures and partnerships.
Considerations in International Partnerships:
In working with international partners, Mr. Kerkhofs highlighted the importance of balancing
global capabilities with local expertise. While global partners offer scale and competence
worldwide, local partners provide proximity and understanding of local ecosystems and
language, which is crucial in certain sectors such as the public sector. He emphasized the
value of combining global and local players to leverage their respective strengths for mutual
benefit.
Conclusion:
Mr. Kerkhofs provided valuable insights into fostering innovation, optimizing team structures,
successful partnerships, anticipated changes, and considerations in international
collaborations within Microsoft. His emphasis on creating a culture of empowerment,
flexibility in team structures, and strategic partnerships reflects a forward-thinking approach

3
(Kerkhofs, 2024)
4
Given the filled agenda of the manager, only 5 questions were asked during the 15 minute interview

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to addressing challenges and capitalizing on opportunities in a dynamic business
environment.

4. Reflection
I’ve learned a lot during the work observation. One of the things was that meetings are more
important than I thought, they almost never take a big decision by themselves. The day was
therefore filled with meetings, as well as online, via MS Teams, as in person. Some meetings
even had people in the room and on the screen. All the meetings we had, were different in
their own way. Some were more interesting than others, but that’s all part of the job. I would
consider having this job when I’m older, but maybe in a different sector. The technology
sector is an interesting one, but maybe not my cup of tea.
There are a lot of the IBM learning outcomes that are compatible with this job. The first one
being, collaboration. As I’ve said before, you need to be able to work in a team and clearly
communicate with them. Another one is digital literacy, because Microsoft is mostly a tech
company. As a director of global partner solutions, international entrepreneurship is one of
the learning outcomes that is needed. This is due to the fact that you work with international
clients all the time and need to have some ideas on how business is done in other countries.
The other ones can also be applied, but these are the most important ones.
My open communication can be a real strength when it comes to this job. Also being able to
work hard is useful. Since the world is always changing, you need to keep learning new things
to keep up with the evolutionary and innovative technologies. As Mr. Kerkhofs said: “Change
is the only constant”
I personally don’t think a programme can ever fully prepare you for a job. There a still a lot of
things that need to be learned along the way. I do think, however, that IBM can give me a
broad idea of what it’s like to be working in an international company. This is done by all the
project that happen during the year as well as the classes.

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5. Appendix
5.1. Work observation certificate

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 5.2. Conformation email from coach

5.3. Questionnaire interview with manager

 "How do you encourage innovation within your team?"
 "How do you optimize your team's structure for effective collaboration with global
partners?"
 "Can you provide an example of a successful partnership that has led to an improvement
of your team?"
 "What do you think will change in the future regarding structure or collaboration?"
 "What is the most important thing to consider when working with international
partners?"

5.4. Bibliography
Kerkhofs, E. (2024, January 30). Management & Innovation. (J. Braekeleirs, Interviewer)
Microsoft Org Chart. (sd). Opgehaald van Someka:
https://www.someka.net/examples/microsoft-org-chart/