Post by Irina Gontcharova

Closing a chapter, I reflect on the past three years as Azure Infra Lead Germany, I’m proud of the journey—of our shared achievements as a team, our impact, and the true growth of Azure success in Germany. Together, we made bold strides in living a culture of accountability, customer centricity, and a sharp focus on driving outcomes. Here are a few leadership lessons I carry forward: 1. Build the team that can build the future - One of the most critical tasks in any leadership role is to shape a team bound by a strong sense of togetherness, culture, and collaboration. It’s been fun—all the way! 2. Trust your people and trust your gut - as a leader, I rely on my sense of direction—knowing when to act and when to pause and rethink. But only by truly trusting the insights of my team have I seen incredible success take root. 3. Have the courage to be vulnerable -for me, this means not being afraid to make mistakes while trying something out of the ordinary. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but growth only happens when you challenge yourself—and let your team challenge you back. Looking back, I’m amazed at how much we’ve learned, achieved, and how far we’ve come together. It’s been a privilege to lead through change, growth, and transformation. Thank you Team #Azure, Team #UnifiedSupport, Team #Germany for your trust, feedback, your voices, our battles (both won and lost), and the “never give up” attitude. To everyone who’s been part of this chapter—you’ve helped drive phenomenal business growth, and you’ve helped me grow as a leader. Agnes Heftberger Steffen Schlecht Hussain Mahmood Christian Schaetz Björn Tromsdorf Edith Wittmann Florian Deter Stratos Komotoglou Dr. Inga von Bibra Tanja Konrad Claudia Fischer Dr. Viola Tittelbach Carsten Nitschke Karin Janina Schweizer Ralf Kretschmer Alex Flade Julia Maurer Stephan Kiene Dmitry Pakhomov Cennet Eren Vecdet Eskiocak Markus Reischl Almedina Karamehmedovic Soleil Tshilomba Lina Jensen Kristin Weiler and so many more esteemed colleagues who were part of the journey. Wherever you are now - thank you! I know I can always count on your support for my next chapter #MSGermany #Microsoft #OneTeam #Azure #Leadership