Microsoft has appointed technology executive Jane Livesey as corporate vice president and its next managing director for Australia and New Zealand.
She will fill the vacancy created when Steven Worrall left to lead Telstra's infrastructure division.
Livesey, who will start in November, joins from Cognizant, where she was President of Asia Pacific and Japan. She has previously held senior roles at PwC, Accenture and IBM.
Livesey said she was "honoured to join Microsoft at such a pivotal time for the region." She pointed to the "unique sets of market conditions" in Australia and New Zealand that she believes make them "primed for outsized growth."
She added she was excited to work with customers, partners and employees "to harness the power of AI and cloud technologies to build a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable future".
Rodrigo Lima, president of Microsoft Asia and Livesey's Singapore-based boss, said, "Her experience in driving transformation at scale and commitment to purpose-led leadership make her the ideal choice to chart Microsoft's next chapter of innovation and growth in Australia and New Zealand."
In Australia and New Zealand, Livesey inherits a business that is performing well commercially.
Nonetheless, an immediate challenge for Livesey will be addressing staff morale after several rounds of job cuts this year.
More than 100 local roles were eliminated in May as part of a broader global reduction of 9,000 positions, despite Microsoft reporting strong earnings.
The company is also under scrutiny as it pushes for regulatory clarity on artificial intelligence, including changes to copyright law, while competing for top technical talent in a market where skills shortages remain acute.
Until Livesey takes over, Steven Miller, Microsoft's chief operating officer for the region, will continue as interim managing director.