How 'marathoner' Irina Ghose of Microsoft India runs at her own pace

At a time when Microsoft India has undergone significant restructuring at the top level, with several key leaders being promoted to new roles, Irina Ghose, who previously served as its chief operating officer (COO), has been elevated to the position of India managing director (MD). She has replaced Sashi Sreedharan, who has moved into a regional role in Asia.

Ghose, a Microsoft veteran who has spent over two decades with the company, will now be responsible for engaging with industry verticals across Microsoft’s solutions areas. She will also focus on creating new engines for growth and delivering on core business outcomes. She has held a variety of strategy and sales leadership roles across enterprise, solution sales, partner solutions, and education segments, focusing on business management, operations, partnerships, and new business initiatives.
 

In her previous role as COO of Microsoft India, she was focused on end-to-end operations, go-to-market strategies, and drove one of the largest world-class sales enablement programs.
 

She is an electrical engineer from IIT (BHU) Varanasi and a Master of Business Administration from XLRI.
 

A proponent of women in business and technology, she is a recipient of the Inspirational Women’s Award at Microsoft and Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT (BHU).
 

A strong champion of diversity and inclusion, she is the founder of MyLittleBit, a philanthropic foundation, focusing on education and jobs for underprivileged girls. She’s actively engaged with Microsoft for Startups and a trustee of SonderConnect, a foundation for women entrepreneurs.
 

A marathon runner, she said in an interview with the Microsoft Stories India team last year, “Running a marathon teaches you the importance of perseverance; it helps build character by cultivating endurance and stamina. It helps you to become a better version of yourself and teaches you to take things in your stride.”
 

Having spent over two decades at Microsoft, she has seen the company pivot several times. One of the learnings she takes from Microsoft is being curious.
 

In the interview on the website, she mentions, “The most important thing I have learnt from various leaders at Microsoft is the art of staying curious. Over the years, I have realised that learning keeps your brain flexible and moulds your thinking in new ways.”
 

Ghose takes the position of MD in India at a time when India Inc is seriously looking at embracing artificial intelligence (AI)-led innovation and implementation.
 

Her bio on the company’s website reads: …to engage with industry verticals across Microsoft’s solution areas, underscored by AI”. She has been working closely with Indian customers and partners to enable India’s digital journey and believes that India can pilot innovation that can be scaled globally.