Kim Akers

Inspirer
DISC Type : di

Chief Operations Officer, Microsoft Engineering, Enablement, and Operations at Microsoft

Seattle, Washington, United States

Overview

As COO for Microsofts global commercial business, Kim Akers leads operations and engineering, driving enterprise transformation with AI. A 30-year Microsoft veteran with degrees from Stanford and Dartmouth, she has held senior leadership roles across cloud, product, and partner strategy, shaping go-to-market execution and large-scale organizational alignment.

Outside of work, she explores complex leadership topics like building trust and empathy, often sharing her reading lists. During her time at Stanford, she was a member of the Womens Crew Team. She is a strong advocate for creating inclusive work environments and fostering authentic connections between colleagues.

She is a public advocate for neurodiversity in the workplace, sharing her own experience living with ADHD, dyslexia, and dysgraphia.

Personality Overview

Charming & Persuasive

Decisive

Generous

They respond well to objective pitches but also attach some value to relationships.  They don’t mind taking a stand if they believe in something. They measure a product on its merit but can be influenced by strong testimonials.

Topics They Care About

AI-driven Operations
Her current COO role focuses on embedding AI into workflows to simplify complex operating systems and improve business performance at a global scale.
Neurodiversity in Tech
She is co-executive sponsor of Microsoft's Disability and Neurodiversity Networks and speaks publicly about her own experiences to promote inclusion and the benefits of AI tools.
Empathetic Leadership
Her social media posts and reading lists frequently explore how leaders can build trust, communicate with clarity, and stay rooted in empathy and perspective.

Media Appearances

Kim has no verified media appearances

Work History

10-2025
Chief Operations Officer, Microsoft Engineering, Enablement, and Operations at Microsoft
10-2022 - 9-2025
Corporate Vice President, MCAPS Enablement and Operations at Microsoft
2017 - 9-2022
Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Learning at Microsoft
2009 - 2017
Corporate Vice President, ISV and Developer Evangelism at Microsoft
1995 - 2009
Early Career at Microsoft

Education

1987 - 1991
Bachelor's degree from Stanford University
1993 - 1995
MBA from The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 30 Location : Seattle, Washington, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Chief Operations Officer, Microsoft Engineering, Enablement, and Operations at Microsoft
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Insights For Selling To Kim

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Acknowledge their status and position during the conversation
  • Clearly address the competitive aspects
  • Get them to a point where they are ready to bat for your product internally

DONT's

  • Don’t be very informal even if they are being so themselves
  • Don’t keep repeating the same information, it could make them impatient
  • Avoid focusing only on the product or its ROI, keep building trust subtly

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Kim is

  • Confidence in the product’s value is critical, followed by relationship and a sense of achievement.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Kim

  • They will not hesitate to say no if they do not develop conviction.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Kim move?

  • If they develop confidence in your product and you, then they can make fast decisions.
  • Can Kim take some risk or not?

  • If necessary, they have the ability to take risky decisions.

You And Kim

Personality Compatibility


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