38 EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW Microsoft’s Lloyd Adams speaks with Andy Clayton-Smith about customer obsession, the evolving partner model and who will gain the real advantage in the agentic AI era Lifting the ceiling on human potential Transformation is the predominant word in any discussion about AI’s impact on business. Agentic AI is driving change at increasing pace and compelling organisations to rethink the way they work. To realise its full potential, companies need a commitment to experimentation, learning, trust – and people. That’s just as true for Microsoft as for any other business. Lloyd Adams joined Microsoft as corporate vice president and chief operating officer for global enterprise sales in 2025, on the cusp of the agentic AI era. He brings three decades of experience in enterprise software – and he is unmistakably energised by the task ahead. How does your career path add value to your current role? My path into technology was unconventional. I studied history as an undergraduate and later earned a master’s degree in marketing. The history degree taught me something I’ve relied on throughout my career: every era is shaped by people making consequential decisions under uncertainty. That is just as true in business and technology today, which is why I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of technology, strategy and customer outcomes. Before joining Microsoft, I spent almost 27 years at SAP – in presales, inside sales, marketing, as a regional marketing lead in Asia, and as president of the North America business. The common thread through it all was the mission-critical core of a business: the systems that run finance, supply chain and operations. When those are the stakes, customers are not looking for a vendor. They are looking for a trusted partner: someone they can rely on in both good times and difficult ones. That is the lens I bring to Microsoft. AI is not an IT project; it is a business transformation agenda. It starts in the boardroom and extends through the C-suite into every part of the organisation. I have spent my career helping leaders navigate those conversations, and I bring both the relationships and the business perspective to focus on where technology creates real value. I have also approached my role at Microsoft with a beginner’s mindset: eager to learn, but willing to challenge assumptions when needed. That combination of curiosity, humility and constructive impatience is where I believe I can contribute most. As Microsoft begins a new financial year, how does the company’s approach to working with customers position it in the emerging AI market? Anyone on my team will tell you I am competitive about the numbers. But growth is the output. The input is customer obsession. Get the second one right and the first one tends to follow.
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