Microsoft Corporate VP Veghte discusses Zune and Vista

Last Thursday, crowds of Ross students rushed into the Union Pendleton room to listen and learn from one man - Bill Veghte, the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft North American Sales, Marketing, and Services.

With a vibrant introduction, Mr. Veghte gave students a chance to learn more about Microsoft's current products including Zune and Xbox 360 as well as a sneak peek at its upcoming software release - Windows Vista. Prizes including an Xbox game, Zune, and Xbox 360 game console were raffled away.

Graduating in 1990 with a degree in Asian Studies from Harvard, Mr. Veghte had career options with management consulting companies and Wall Street firms. At the same time, he also had a close soccer-pal from the University of Seattle who introduced him to Microsoft. Immediately, he fell in love with the software company.

"I choose to work for Microsoft because I believe in the people, I believe in the industry, and I believe in what the role of the company had the opportunity to play," said Mr. Veghte. Through working with the right people and believing in the company, Mr. Veghte has experienced much success at Microsoft, the leader in the technology industry.

As Ross students look for industries to jumpstart their career, they tend to choose industry leaders that give the most exposure to different functional fields.

"Microsoft is one of the few companies that can give you exposure across customer segment, business consumer, small business or large business, in the US, Europe, and Asia," remarked Mr. Veghte.

Ross students also seek companies that can provide the best training environment for their personal development.

"You also have the ability and agility to move across customer types and different function areas, or you build a successful 10-year career within a specific area. Microsoft gives you the ability to [do] all of those things [as] you realize your potential within a specific functional area."

In terms of searching for talent, Microsoft prioritizes intellectual horsepower. This means a combination of two things: book smarts and street smarts.

"I got plenty of smart people I can hire, but I want to hire someone who's both smart and street-wise. Ross students are a good benchmark."

"Microsoft has certainly increased its hiring significantly at Ross, partly due to the successes we've seen in people at Ross," said Veghte.

Ross students are described as functionally disciplined, optimistic, and unafraid to approach bold problems.

As a final thought, Mr. Veghte stated "this is incredibly exciting time for Microsoft. Microsoft is one of the largest leading investors of R&D of any company in the world. Never in the history of Microsoft have we brought so much innovation to market at once as we have today."

Information technology is one of the most exciting and fast-paced industries in the world today. Microsoft is the market leader in that industry, and there is an enormous set of responsibilities required of leaders within the organization, as well as many opportunities. Luckily, Ross students have left their mark on the company and are known for being leaders and the best, and Microsoft has noticed.