Microsoft Announces Appointment of New Group Vice President And Three Vice Presidents

REDMOND, Wash., July 22, 1996 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the promotion of Jeffrey S. Raikes to group vice president, sales and marketing. In his new position, Raikes becomes a member of Bill Gates’ office of the president and will continue reporting to Steve Ballmer, executive vice president, worldwide sales and support.

In addition to Raikes, three directors from Microsoft’s worldwide sales and support division will be promoted to vice president. Effective today, Joe Vetter will be promoted to vice president, Western region (U.S.); Dianne Gregg will be promoted to vice president, Eastern region (U.S.); and Frank Clegg will be promoted to vice president, Central region (U.S.) and Canada.

Promotion of Jeff Raikes

In his role as group vice president, Raikes will continue overseeing, managing and directing Microsoft’s sales and consulting services for North America. Raikes will also oversee Microsoft’s worldwide enterprise, organization and end user customers units. During his tenure at Microsoft, Raikes has held positions as product manager, director of applications marketing and vice president of office systems.

“Jeff has been an integral part of Microsoft’s management team and an important part of Microsoft’s successful customer focus. I am proud to have him join the office of the president,”
said Bill Gates, CEO and chairman of Microsoft Corp.
“He played a pivotal role in the marketing efforts of our first Macintosh® and Windows® operating system-based applications, and I am confident he will play an even bigger role as we continue to enter new areas and work to meet both the present and future needs of our customers.”

“I am pleased to recognize Jeff’s phenomenal contribution to Microsoft during his 15 years with this company,”
Ballmer said.
“He is a seasoned professional with a long history of accomplishments and leadership. As our chief applications strategist in the early 1980s, Jeff played a leadership role in building the Microsoft Office family of applications. Most recently, as senior vice president, sales and consulting services for North America, he has continued to demonstrate his commitment to Microsoft by leading a strong group of people intent on delivering the best products to our customers. Through these efforts during the past five years, Microsoft North America’s revenue has more than tripled, and the business experienced 45 percent annualized growth in profits.”

Promotion of Frank Clegg

Clegg has been general manager of Microsoft Canada for five years and acting director of the Central region and Canada for the past six months. In addition to overseeing sales, support and marketing activities in Canada, Clegg has introduced Microsoft® Consulting Services and expanded the reseller channel and the Solution Provider programs. Before joining Microsoft in 1991, he spent 13 years at IBM Canada, where he held a variety of sales, staff and management positions.

“Frank’s leadership in Microsoft Canada has been unprecedented,”
Raikes said.
“During the last six years, Microsoft Canada has experienced phenomenal revenue growth, something I attribute to Frank’s strong sales and marketing leadership. His background in international marketing and sales has had an incredible impact on our bottom line.”

Promotion of Dianne Gregg

Since joining Microsoft in 1994, Dianne Gregg has been director of the Eastern region of the United States. As vice president, she will be responsible for overseeing sales and consulting efforts for both the Eastern United States and the federal sector. Prior to joining Microsoft, Gregg held numerous sales and consulting management positions at IBM.

“Dianne has provided excellent guidance on our enterprise customer business,”
said Raikes.
“Her leadership has had a significant impact on how we sell to and service our large corporate customers.”

Promotion of Joe Vetter

Vetter joined Microsoft in 1984 and has held management positions in OEM, sales and consulting. Vetter has served as director of the Western region since 1994. As vice president, Vetter will continue overseeing Microsoft’s sales and consulting business in the 13 Western states.

“I am confident Joe’s long tenure with Microsoft will make him a rich asset to our executive staff,”
Raikes said.
“While at Microsoft, Joe has supervised the selection and hiring of over 300 people and has personally held nearly every position in the broad spectrum of our sales and consulting businesses. Joe’s experience and his firsthand knowledge of the various jobs in his organization have led to a deep understanding of our clients, products and overall programs.”

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

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