Vince Menzione

Founder of Cloud Wave Partners LLC

I help technology leaders thrive in this era of rapid, tectonic change—mastering Microsoft, AWS, and Google partnerships to drive growth, innovation, and impact.

From scaling startups to leading $4.6B at Microsoft, I’ve learned one truth: success is built on meaningful connections—between people, ideas, and opportunities - trust is always a key ingredients.

Raised in a close-knit Italian family in New Jersey, my upbringing shaped my leadership principles. My grandfather arrived in the U.S. with only $20 in his pocket and built multiple sustainable businesses through grit and determination.

My dad fought in WWII and taught me that integrity and trust were omnipotent. These teachings were  the foundation upon which I built lasting success.

In college, I sold goods at flea markets and created a successful business organizing watch parties— creating opportunities by connecting people. After college, that drive took me to the front lines of wireless computing, where I helped scale a startup from $6M to $125M and led it to a successful public exit.

At General Dynamics, I turned around a struggling division, driving exponential growth, securing $20M in defense appropriations, and delivering a third of the company’s revenue—through partnerships built on collaboration and execution.

Then came nearly a decade at Microsoft, where I led the US Public Sector Partner business through one of the most significant transformations in tech. We grew revenue from $2.5B to $4.6B, shaped the modern cloud reseller model, and built high performing partner teams known for trust, alignment, and results.

But I saw a gap. Leaders didn’t just need strategy decks—they needed real focus, practical frameworks, and a trusted space to learn from one another.

In 2017, I founded Ultimate Partner® to be that compass for technology leaders navigating ecosystem-led growth. Through Ultimate Guide to Partnering®, now 270+ episodes strong, and Ultimate Partner LIVE events, I bring together top voices from Microsoft, AWS, Google, and across the partner ecosystem. I also developed the 8 Principles of Partnering Success, used to align strategy and drive measurable impact.

Our mission is simple: empower leaders and their organizations to grow with clarity, connection, and credibility—while building partnerships that scale with purpose.

Founder

Over six years ago, I embarked on a mission to empower partners struggling to navigate the complex world of tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and AWS. 

Having witnessed the industry from multiple perspectives – leading a $4.6 billion Ecosystem at Microsoft, spearheading partnerships for a billion-dollar company, and hosting 200 episodes of the Ultimate Guide to Partnering®, I’ve gained invaluable insights and crafted a manifesto of principles to guide your success.

In an era defined by tectonic shifts, such as the global pandemic, economic headwinds, and the rise of AI, the role of hyperscalers has become increasingly critical. With investments of billions of dollars in ecosystems, technology, and customer acquisition costs, they have secured over $200 billion in customer commitments to durable cloud budgets. We stand on the precipice of a marketplace moment where simplifying and streamlining economic models associated with co-selling and ecosystem-led growth will shape the decade ahead.

Yet, as vendors and organizations demand more from us while resources diminish, we ask, “Where do we go? How do we navigate these seismic shifts? How do we thrive during this decade of the ecosystem?”

If you’re a partner, you’re likely grappling with these questions. The watering holes of the past no longer offer the guidance required to transform into a Cloud GTM and embrace Ecosystem Led Growth. That’s why Ultimate Partner exists – to be your trusted compass amidst the noise.

Visit our website, tune into Ultimate Guide to Partnering and join The Ultimate Partner LIVE events.

Microsoft just placed a HUGE bet — and partners are at the center of it.

In my latest episode, Erwin Visser breaks down the real story behind Microsoft’s AI and SMEC strategy — what’s changing, what partners need to know, and how this shift will redefine co-sell, Copilot adoption, and the future of the ecosystem.

If you lead a partner business, this is the conversation you cannot afford to miss.

 🎧 Listen to the episode https://lnkd.in/ejU4Tr4z

 📩 Subscribe for deeper insights in the newsletter https://lnkd.in/e4BCMxQ3

 🧭 And join us inside UPX, where leaders get the clarity they need to win in this new era. https://lnkd.in/e-ZpX3pB

Let’s rise to the moment. The opportunity is here — and it’s partner-led.

Connecting tech leaders through community, media and events, creating high growth in hyperscaler ecosystems | Founder, Ultimate Partner® | Host, Ultimate Guide to Partnering® | Chief Connector UPX

View newsletter: Ultimate Guide to Partnering

What a thrilling week hosting partner leaders at Ultimate Partner LIVE in Reston, VA at the Carahsoft Training Center. Even if you couldn't be with us

Open article: Microsoft Co-Sell & AI: Erwin Visser on the $600B Growth Model by Vince Menzione • 3 min read

Microsoft Co-Sell & AI: Erwin Visser on the $600B Growth Model

Jim Lee

Microsoft

Vice President, Americas Global Partner Solution & Sales 

Vice President, US Global Partner Solutions & Sales

Vice President - US Consulting 

VP/Chief Operations Officer - US Services

General Manager - East Commercial Services

Director & Chief of Staff - US Services

Director & Chief of Staff - World Wide Public Sector Services

General Manager-  State&Local Government, Education and Healthcare

Sun Microsystems (acquired by Oracle)

General Manager -Professional Services - State&Local Government, Education, Healthcare, Civilian/DOD

Professional Services Manager - Financial and Communications Sector

Qwest Communications

Custom Solutions - US Custom Hosting Manager

The World Bank

Information Technology Regional Manager (Africa & Europe)

Butler International Technologies

Consultant

Accountability for over $70B of partner-driven revenue across the Americas. The end-client includes Small Medium Corporate (SMC) and Enterprise including the top Strategic customers. My team focuses on enabling and achieving transformational impact with our Services/Consulting partners. These partners consist of Global Systems Integrators, Advisory Firms, Managed Service Providers and Cloud Solution Providers (CSP)/Hosters. My accountability includes driving joint Azure Consumed Revenue, Marketplace Billed Sales, Co-selling Sales, Biz Apps, Data & AI, Digital & App Innovation, Infrastructure and Security Solutions. 

Previously, I was the Vice President of the U.S. Consulting organization for Microsoft. In this role, I led a team driving strategy, industry solution/sales enablement, delivery enablement, partner/channel management, consumption excellence, and strategic pursuits.

Prior to Microsoft, I worked with Sun Microsystems (acquired by Oracle), as the U.S. General Manager for Public Sector. I am passionate about bridging the digital divide globally. This was fueled by my work at the World Bank where I was the regional Technology Manager for Africa and portions of Europe. I went to Virginia Union University (HSBC) and then transferred to the University of Arkansas and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. I received my Executive Training from Harvard University. It is a privilege to sit on the board of the DC Police Foundation and committee member helping Paralyzed Veterans of America. A deep passion of mine is motivational speaking to help people focus on the power of the mind to achieve life goals with a focus on health, family, and work.

I am working towards hitting a personal best, squatting 1000 lbs! I was able to do 945 pounds 8 times with this new squat machine, which takes the pressure off your back and puts the focus on your legs. 

I share this not for the number itself, but for the discipline behind it. Progress doesn’t come from heroic bursts; it comes from showing up consistently, pushing past discomfort, and stacking small gains over time. 

The same is true in leadership; teams don’t grow because of one big strategy meeting; they grow through steady, deliberate practice of habits that compound.  

👉 Workouts are like OKRs; you have to measure what matters. If you're looking for a great book suggestion, I highly recommend Measure What Matters by John Doerr.  
#Leadership #Resilience #Fitness

Vice President, Americas Global Partner Solutions & Sales at Microsoft

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