Microsoft Mentors

A conversation on acquiring Microsoft capability, integrating culture, protecting people, and turning M&A into a real strategic advantage. Buying Microsoft capability is the easy headline. Building a business around it properly is the harder bit. That’s what makes this conversation with David Keeling so useful. This isn’t just a story about an acquisition. It’s a story about why businesses mak...

Most businesses don’t fail because they start badly. They fail because they stop adapting. That’s what makes this conversation with Mark Taylor, Founder and CTO of Chorus, such a useful one. Mark didn’t build Chorus in a hot market with perfect timing, big funding, or some polished founder playbook. He built it the old-fashioned way. From scratch. From his parents’ bedroom. By spotting a real Micr...

What does it take to build a Microsoft business that lasts nearly 27 years? In this episode of Microsoft Mentors , we sit down with Mark Taylor , Founder and CTO of Chorus , to explore how the business grew from a bedroom startup in 1999 into a multi-pillar Microsoft business spanning managed services, Dynamics, and cybersecurity . In this trailer, Mark shares part of that journey, from spotting t...

How has Microsoft security evolved from the world of Active Directory and infrastructure into one defined by AI, data security, and non-human identities? In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli sits down with Luke Elston, Microsoft Practice Director at CyberONE, to explore both his personal journey and the wider evolution of Microsoft security over the last decade. From starting out in engineeri...

What does it really look like to build a business in the Microsoft ecosystem, sell it, and then do it all again? In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli sits down with Mags Totten, CRO at Yavrio and one of the most well-known commercial leaders in the Microsoft partner community, to unpack a career shaped by reinvention, timing, and a clear ability to spot where the market is heading next. From...

“I can usually see what’s coming… just before it starts to come.” That ability to spot what’s next before the market catches up is what separates good operators from great founders. In this episode of Microsoft Mentors , we sit down with Mags Totten to unpack a career built on seeing shifts early… and acting on them. From building Scotland’s first cloud-focused business… To scaling with an exit in...

What does Microsoft’s AI story actually look like now, once you get beyond the surface-level Copilot conversation? In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli sits down with Alex Pearce, Chief Strategist for Microsoft at Softcat and one of the UK’s longest-standing Microsoft MVPs, to unpack how the Microsoft AI landscape is evolving in real time. From the early days of Copilot as an in-app productiv...

Most Microsoft Partners don’t have a demand problem. They have a talent problem. In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli and Alex break down what’s really driving growth (and friction) inside the Microsoft Partner ecosystem, from Azure hiring challenges to scaling delivery teams effectively. This is a straight-talking conversation about: Hiring strategy vs hiring reality Why roles stay open (eve...

How do you build a standout career in technology while staying relevant through every major shift in the Microsoft ecosystem? In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli sits down with James Pearse, CTO at ATEC Cloud, to unpack a career built on momentum, curiosity, and stepping outside the comfort zone. From early systems administration and consultancy pressure to Microsoft, global nonprofit work,...

Everyone’s talking about AI. Almost no one is talking about securing it. In this clip, James Pearse shares why: AI adoption is accelerating fast Security is being overlooked And why governance will define the next phase of the market If you're working in Microsoft 365, Azure, or security, this matters. 🎧 Watch the full Microsoft Mentors episode tomorrow, 1 April!

Think cyber attacks start with malware? Think again. In this clip, Microsoft Security MVP Charlie Gough explains: Why identity is now the biggest security risk How attackers actually get access And why passwords alone are no longer enough This is the shift every Microsoft Partner needs to understand. 🎧 Full episode is live!

What does “secure by design” actually look like in a modern Microsoft environment? In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli sits down with Charlie Gough, Microsoft Security MVP and Security Architect at Brightsolid, to explore why identity, not infrastructure, has become the true security perimeter. Drawing on over 20 years in IT, from early database and infrastructure roles through consultancy a...

How do you build a cybersecurity business in a world where attackers are using AI faster than defenders? In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli sits down with Matt Lovell, Founder of CloudGuard, to unpack the thinking behind building an automation-first cyber security platform designed to protect organisations that face enterprise-level threats without enterprise-level resources. Drawing on 35...

Daily change is the new normal in the Microsoft ecosystem. New AI releases. New Copilot capabilities. New customer expectations. The temptation? Adopt everything. Move faster. Push harder. But speed without clarity creates burnout. And burnout kills delivery. In this clip from Microsoft Mentors, Matt Lovell (CloudGuard) explains why: • Reinvention is now part of every cloud career• AI won’t replac...

What does it really take to win Microsoft Partner of the Year, and more importantly, to build a business capable of earning it? In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli sits down with Rob Young, Founder and CEO of Infinity Group, to unpack the 25-year journey behind their transformation from a traditional MSP into a pure-play Microsoft Partner, culminating in global recognition as Microsoft Partn...

What happens when a deeply technical engineer has to stop doing everything themselves, and learn to lead instead? In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli sits down with Iain Williamson, Practice Lead for Cloud Platform & Security at Intelogy, to explore a 25-year career journey shaped by long-term growth, trust, and one of the hardest transitions in tech: letting go of hands-on delivery to s...

Why does leadership feel harder than engineering? In this episode of Microsoft Mentors , Iain Williamson , Practice Lead at Intelogy, shares what the transition from hands-on technical delivery to senior leadership really looks like after nearly 25 years inside the same Microsoft Partner. We discuss: • Why technical excellence can limit impact at scale• The mindset shift from doing the work to ena...

What happens when you start an IT business at 20 years old, wing it for years, scale it to a multi-million-pound MSP, and then realise the biggest problem in the industry isn’t technology, it’s trust?  In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli sits down with Mit Patel, founder of Netstar and now CEO of Assurix, to unpack a 25-year journey through the MSP and Microsoft Partner ecosystem.  From earl...

When all MSPs sound the same, the wrong ones keep winning. That’s the uncomfortable reality Mit Patel breaks down in this episode of Microsoft Mentors . After 25 years building, scaling, and exiting an MSP, Mit explains why differentiation in the MSP market has failed, and how that failure creates real risk for customers and real frustration for high-quality providers. We get into: • Why buyers re...

What happens when you grow up coding on an Amstrad and end up leading one of the UK’s most forward-thinking Microsoft Partners? For Helen Gelling, curiosity wasn’t just a childhood hobby. It became the foundation for a career that’s spanned continents, cloud revolutions, and courageous leadership decisions. In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli sits down with Helen Gerling, CEO of Shaping Clou...

Most tech careers don’t stall because the tools change. They stall because judgement doesn’t. This episode of Microsoft Mentors is about what actually compounds over time. Not credentials. Not frameworks. But the decisions people make when there’s no clear answer. We talk about: Why long-term capability comes from how you think, not what you know Making career calls that don’t make sense on paper,...

Most Microsoft partners don’t fail because of tech. They fail because of decisions. This is Trailer One for Microsoft Mentors — Series 3. Five leaders. 20+ year careers. No interest in hype. This series breaks down: Why “differentiation” usually isn’t What actually drives long-term scale How leaders survive multiple tech cycles Why consistency beats intensity every time Not motivation. Operating p...

What happens when you give a start-up mindset the scale of a global giant?  100,000+ employees.  Global systems integrator.  Layers of process that can slow anyone to a crawl.  And yet, a Microsoft business unit emerged that runs like a start-up.  Fast.  Innovative.  Able to get new ideas to market before the keynote’s even finished.  In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, we cover:  -The “creep” f...

Think you need a master's degree to lead global Microsoft Security Strategy? Wrong, Jason Revill started with a train ticket to Hull, now he is.... Global Microsoft Security Practice Director at Avanade! Shaping Security strategy used by the world’s biggest enterprises in the GenAI era. But his career started with a £7k loan, a train to Hull and a big bet on becoming an expert in Microsoft tec...

Straight out of university, he and two mates launched a small MSP in Austin. No capital. No customers. No business degrees. Just curiosity, grit, and a knack for solving real tech problems. Fast forward 25 years…Shane Gronniger is now CEO of GCS Technologies, one of Texas’ top Microsoft Partners:➡️ 45+ employees➡️ 100s of long-term clients➡️ Still 100% privately owned➡️ Still no outbound sales tea...