Former NZ Trade Commissioner for Singapore to help enable the growth of the local Software as a Service sector.
New Zealand, 4 April, 2021 – Microsoft New Zealand has appointed former NZ Trade Commissioner for Singapore, Hayley Horan, to the role of SaaS Partner Lead, with the goal of driving more growth for the Software as a Service sector in New Zealand.
Hayley joins the Microsoft team from data analytics company Data Insight, where she was the Chief Growth Officer, after six years working with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, helping to support the advancement of Aotearoa’s technology sector globally.
She also serves as the chair of natural healthcare company The Herb Farm, and was a Board Observer for International Trade Development at NZTech.
In her new role at Microsoft, Hayley will be responsible for overseeing the SaaS partner channel, working alongside partners to connect them with capital and specialist expertise, and helping to build a technology skills pipeline for the industry.
A major focus for Hayley is also creating connections around the world via Microsoft’s global networks, supporting local SaaS businesses to launch and grow their presence in overseas markets.
The strategic importance of Hayley’s appointment is underlined by the huge growth in New Zealand’s tech export sector over the past two years. Releasing the government’s Industry Transformation Plan (ITP) for the sector in February, Minister David Clark cited the digital technologies sector’s growth rate at twice the national average, highlighting the need to accelerate growth opportunities.
Hayley was an integral part of ITP’s development, co-writing the SaaS strategy and serving as the NZTE Tech Sector Lead on the Digital ITP workstream. Alongside Callaghan Innovation, she was instrumental in establishing the KiwiSaaS business community and SaaS Advisory Board. Hayley also sat on the Governance group of the newly-launched New Zealand Tech and Innovation Story, which was funded under the plan.
“There is just so much innovation here in Aotearoa and I’m passionate about growing that even further. I’ve seen from the outside the value that Microsoft adds for its partners in the SaaS sector, and I’m incredibly excited to be joining the team that makes it all happen,” says Hayley.
“SaaS is a huge area of opportunity for New Zealand’s tech sector, as seen through the global success of companies like Cin7, FlexiTime and LawVu. With the arrival of Microsoft’s New Zealand datacenter region soon, it will be a catalyst to unlock even more opportunities for our partners and springboard them to success in international markets, and I feel privileged to be helping achieve that.”
Vanessa Sorenson, Microsoft New Zealand Managing Director, says, “Our mission at Microsoft is to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more, and we’re absolutely committed to opening doors to the globe for Kiwi tech companies. We’re thrilled to have Hayley on board, who shares that passion and brings with her deep expertise in helping New Zealand startups become global successes. We can’t wait to see what she can do for the SaaS sector here.”