KIRK ARTHUR Worldwide Government Solutions Lead at Microsoft Kirk, could you start by telling us about your journey to becoming the Worldwide Government Solutions Lead at Microsoft? What inspired you to pursue this role - you’ve previously worked in the U.S. Secret Service’s Presidential Protective Division so your current role would appear to be a significant change of direction? I enjoyed a wonderful career as a Special Agent with the United States Secret Service. In addition to my time serving on the Presidential Protective Division, I also led Electronic Crimes Task Forces in Seattle and San Francisco. My teams were responsible for conducting data breach investigations and working with our global law enforcement partners to bring those responsible to justice. In this capacity, we worked with Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit and I was always impressed with their expertise and capabilities. Could you share with the reader what Microsoft’s vision is within the scope of your role? I am part of Microsoft’s Worldwide Government Industry team. We are a group of former government workers whose roles are to showcase how Microsoft’s incredible technology capabilities can help governments deliver more efficient and secure services to the people and communities they service. This is through our Microsoft Office Suite, as well as with our Business Applications and Azure cloud platforms that can support every aspect of a government’s mission. With such a vast scale to your role what does a typical day look like for you? This is one of the most exciting parts about working at Microsoft. With my team’s global remit, I get to interact with colleagues across the globe, meet with government customers, and engage with our great network of partners who are incorporating our platform capabilities into their solutions. I have the privilege of hosting government delegations here in Redmond, Washington; or meeting with them at conferences and events around the world. What are some of the most significant challenges you face in developing and implementing government solutions on a global scale? Are there common obstacles that you encounter that run across all implementation initiatives? As we all know, the role and responsibilities of governments are vast and complex – whether national ministries or departments focusing on the safety and LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS TECHNOLOGY USA AWARDS 2024 - CEO TODAY - - 15 -
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