The Rebirth of a Giant: Microsoft’s Pivot to “Mobile First, Cloud First”

Microsoft offers a rare example of an incumbent that has survived the era of digital transformation – reclaiming a place among the undisputable tech giants (GAFA). Its performance is all the more remarkable given the challenges it faced at the end of the Ballmer era, when Satya was appointed the turn-around CEO in 2014. This case explores the three layers of transformation Microsoft went through – with help from INSEAD – to rebuild the international sales organisation and reassert its dominance in the industry. In four short years, he reversed the nose-dive, turning declining revenue into steady growth and changing the product mix from on-premise license-based software services to cloud-first mobile-first solutions.

Provide a framework to help executives understand the three layers of transformation needs, beyond the task of change itself. Demonstrate how change leaders construct change programmes in a more systemic way to remove the roadblocks.