Careers: Interviews
A Chat with Jean-Philippe Courtois: past President and Executive Vice President (EVP) of Global Sales, Marketing, and Operations, Microsoft; past Executive Vice President and President of National Transformation Partnerships, Microsoft; President of Live for Good; member of the ManpowerGroup Board of Directors; Chairman of the Mission Committee at OpenClassrooms

This week, Stephen Ibaraki has an exclusive interview with Jean-Philippe Courtois.

Jean-Philippe Courtois has been instrumental in shaping Microsoft's global trajectory since joining the company in 1984, retiring in September 2024. Most recently, he served on the Executive Committee alongside CEO Satya Nadella as President and Executive Vice President (EVP) of Global Sales, Marketing, and Operations. In this role, Jean-Philippe was pivotal in building dynamic ecosystems that ranged from small businesses and start-ups to public sector organizations and global industry leaders. He played a key part in accelerating Microsoft's transformation into a cloud and AI leader and oversaw the entire commercial business, managing 124 subsidiaries worldwide.

In the final chapter of his career at Microsoft, Jean-Philippe held the title of Executive Vice President and President of National Transformation Partnerships. He spearheaded initiatives that fostered the digital transformation of national economies, driving sustainable and inclusive growth. A passionate advocate of entrepreneurship for good, Jean-Philippe launched a global Entrepreneurship for Positive Impact that accelerated the development of more than 2,500 of the most promising environmental and social impact start-ups from more than 100 countries.

Known for his belief in positive leadership, Jean-Philippe emphasizes that leaders with a clear sense of purpose can unlock the potential of their teams, fostering a culture of well-being, success, and societal impact. This philosophy inspired him to create and host the Positive Leadership (buzzsprout.com) podcast, where he engages with leaders and authors who excel in inspiring others align personal and organizational missions to bring out the best in people.

Beyond his Microsoft journey, Jean-Philippe is the President of Live for Good a foundation he co-founded with his family in 2015. This initiative focuses on unlocking the potential of young people from diverse backgrounds through impact entrepreneurship, fostering innovation within a highly engaged community.

A graduate of SKEMA Business School, where he has served as Chairman of the Board since 2017, Jean-Philippe has also held key roles in various global forums. He co-chaired the **World Economic Forum's Digital Divide Working Group** and contributed to the **European Commission's Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Working Group**.

Jean-Philippe is also a member of the ManpowerGroup Board of Directors, a global leader in HR and recruitment services, and serves as Chairman of the Mission Committee at OpenClassrooms a leading company in EdTech.