Brad Clarke leaves Microsoft after 17 years

Australian channel veteran Brad Clarke has left Microsoft after 17 years.

Clarke, who first joined Microsoft from Optus in 2007, most recently served as Microsoft ANZ SMB channel lead and previously spent seven years as a partner management lead.

Over the course of almost two decades, he has held a variety of partner and distributor-facing roles, despite having initially joined Microsoft to set up an offshore call centre in the Philippines.

Speaking from CRN Pipeline on Queensland's Gold Coast, Clarke said: “I’m going to leave Microsoft with the same mindset of how I joined: deeply passionate about the channel.

“I just absolutely love this community so I’m really thinking meaningfully about how I can continue to serve and help the channel community to grow.”

Before joining Microsoft, Clarke spent almost a decade building call centres with Optus. Having been hired to build an offshore call centre for Microsoft, Clarke soon developed an interest in the channel.

“I used to drive around NSW and literally talk to hundreds and hundreds of partners. [I had] eight meetings every day; talking to MSPs and just listening and learning.”

Looking ahead, Clarke is keeping his options open but knows his journey likely stay close to the Australian and New Zealand channel community.

“I know what I’m passionate about. I want to sell for reseller; channel success, channel profitability at scale. I’m looking for the right platform to be able to do that, whether it’s my own organisation or someone else’s.”