Comparing Microsoft's VP of Cloud Infrastructure to Google's VP of Data Centers via LinkedIn Profiles

Microsoft has put a new VP in charge of its Cloud Infrastructure group retiring the role of VP of Global Foundation Services.  GFS’s logo looked like this.

Global Foundation Services (GFS) is the engine that powers Microsoft's cloud services. Learn more.

When I Google Search “Microsoft Global Foundation Services” what shows is Microsoft Cloud Platform with little trace of Global Foundation Services and the words Global Foundation Services (GFS) are gone.

So the changes have started in Microsoft’s data center group.  What changes are there in the future?

One way to look at what the future will be like is to compare the new Microsoft VP's public profile vs. a competitor.  I could pick Amazon as competitor, but Google is bigger in terms of a data center presence.  So let’s look at Microsoft’s Suresh Kumar, VP of Cloud Infrastructure and Operations vs. Google’s Joe Kava, VP of Data Centers.  The below is from their LinkedIn profiles as of Oct 21, 8:30p.  I am referencing the date and time of this post as things may change as profile get modified.  2 days ago Sumar’s picture was this.

Suresh Kumar, via LinkedIn

Now on LinkedIn Suresh’s photo is below.

Both Suresh and Joe have 500+ connections.

On Suresh’s profile his top skill at 27 in e-commerce.  Joe’s top skill at 117 is Strategy.

Joe has 66 for Data Centers.  Suresh has 0.

Here is Suresh’s top 10 skills.

Here is Joe’s top 10 skills.

The one area where Suresh and Joe are close is 11 and 14 for Cloud Computing.  

Suresh

Joe

When you look at the above numbers who would you choose to build your Cloud/Data Center Infrastructure?  This has been an interesting way to look at two different executives using LinkedIn profiles.  With fresh eyes I went and looked at my skills listed on my LinkedIn profile.  You may want to as well and think about how your skills are listed.

Oh the other area Suresh and Joe are equal is it looks like both of them now have photos that their corporate PR groups say is OK to have on a public facing site.

Joe Kava, via LinkedIn

Microsoft puts ex-Amazon VP in charge of Cloud Infrastructure and Operations, including data centers

Last week Microsoft put an ex-Amazon.com VP in charge of Cloud Infrastructure and Operations.  I’ve had e-mail conversations on the changes with lots of people asking questions, but I couldn’t write anything.  Well, now I can blog something because of public disclosure.  Suresh Kumar, VP of Cloud Infrastructure and Operations updated his LinkedIn profile.

Last week Suresh’s linkedin profile only showed Suresh’s Amazon experience even though he had been at Microsoft for months and his job change to Microsoft was not added yet.

VP, Worldwide Retail Systems and Retail Services

Amazon

August 2008 – May 2014 (5 years 10 months)Greater Seattle Area

As the Vice President of Worldwide Retail Systems, managed a global team of 500 engineers across seven locations, including four Vice Presidents of Technology and twelve Engineering Directors. Responsible for technology that powers core retail functions such as pricing, promotions, catalog and vendor management for all Amazon properties worldwide. Responsible for all aspects of technology, including program management, software development, testing, support, operations and business analytics. 

As the Retail CTO, responsible for establishing software architecture standards, and maintaining consistency in hiring and leveling of senior engineering talent across all retail divisions. Responsible for setting architecture direction for all Amazon retail subsidiaries and integrating subsidiaries into the Amazon technology stack.

As head of Retail Services, currently managing a team of 2000 associates across nine centers and twenty product imaging studios worldwide, responsible for creating and maintaining all item information, including item images for products sold by Amazon retail.

Now there are these two entries.

Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Cloud Infrastructure and Operations

Microsoft

October 2014 – Present (1 month)Redmond, WA

Responsible for designing, building and operating the infrastructure that power's Microsoft's cloud; the engineering systems required for automating and optimizing the processes associated with the planning and management of the cloud infrastructure.

Corporate Vice President

Microsoft

June 2014 – September 2014 (4 months)Redmond, WA

There are many more details, but the above is all I could find that has been published.  

Will be interesting to see how Suresh does in his role at Microsoft. He has a background that is different than many and I didn’t find any data center experience in his background.

Princeton University

PhD, Engineering

1987 – 1992

Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Bachelor of Technology (BTech), Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering

1983 – 1987

...

· Ten patents on work related to mobile computers. Three patents on collaborative computing, one on cryptography and one on electronic auctions. Several patent applications on e-commerce are pending.

Been slow blogging as lots of device repairs

This past few days have been slow blogging as I have had a few device problems - smartphones and laptop.  Luckily everything is fixed and no data is lost.  I’ll write a few posts on the device problems. 

Oops, Microsoft buys 2 more homes to support its Iowa Data Center expansion

Des Moines Register reports on Microsoft buying 2 home to support its data center expansion.

Microsoft has closed in on some of the last pieces of land for its $1.1 billion data center in West Des Moines.

The Redmond, Wash.-based company has purchased another two homes that sit on the future site of the "Project Alluvion" data center.

Microsoft purchased one home for $405,000 and another for $275,000, according to documents recently filed with the Polk County recorder's office.

If you go to the above link you can see where the data center site is located.

Are you in an incompatible relationship with your Boss, fixed vs growth mindsets

I’ve enjoyed reading Carol Dweck’s works on mindsets and found this article that explains the fixed vs. growth mindset.  This graphic illustrates the difference in mindsets.

(courtesy of Brain Pickings), we see the the main differences between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset:

I read the section on relationships and substituted the idea of mate for employee.

 People harboring a fixed mindset held on to the belief that their ideal employee would set them on a pedestal and make them feel perfect.

Do you have a boss like the above?  Or is your boss like this?

those possessing a growth mindset would opt for an employee that would point out their flaws and help them improve as a person.

The mistake I have made is having worked for growth bosses for so long and not realizing when I was working for a fixed mindset boss who all the cared about was being put on a pedestal and make them feel perfect.  That’s why the brown noses and ass kissers were getting rewarded.  Now I get it.  It’s those bosses were fixed mindsets.

The problem is in IT and data centers I think there are many more people who are fixed mindset than growth.  Do you see this battle going on in your organization?

For people with a growth mindset, personal success occurs when they work as hard as they can to be their best, whereas for those with a fixed mindset, success is all about building their superiority over others. For the former, setbacks are motivating and informative input they can use to become better. For the latter, they’re a label and a sentence.