Vince Menzione

Founder of Cloud Wave Partners LLC

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

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

I was raised in a close-knit Italian family in New Jersey. My grandfather arrived in the U.S. with $20 in his pocket and built sustainable businesses through grit and determination. My dad—an Army veteran of WWII—taught me that integrity and trust aren’t “nice to have.” They’re everything. Those lessons became the foundation of my leadership.

I’ve spent my career building—and rebuilding—organizations through partnerships:

In the startup world, I helped scale a company from $6M to $125M and to a successful public exit.

At General Dynamics, I turned around a struggling division—driving exponential growth, securing $20M in defense appropriations, and delivering roughly a third of the company’s revenue by aligning partners around execution.

Then came nearly a decade at Microsoft, where I led the U.S. Public Sector Partner business through a major transformation. We grew revenue from $2.5B to $4.6B, helped shape the modern cloud reseller model, and built high-performing teams known for alignment, results, and credibility.

But along the way, I saw a gap: leaders didn’t just need strategy decks. They needed focus, practical frameworks, and a trusted space to learn from one another.

So in 2017, I founded Ultimate Partner® to be that compass for technology leaders navigating ecosystem-led growth. Through the Ultimate Guide to Partnering® podcast (270+ episodes) and Ultimate Partner LIVE events, I bring together top voices from Microsoft, AWS, Google, and the broader partner ecosystem. I also developed the 8 Principles of Partnering Success—a practical framework leaders use to align strategy and drive measurable outcomes.

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

If you’re building in the hyperscaler ecosystem—and want to grow faster, execute better, and lead with trust—let’s connect.

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.

With my passion to make good and not-so-good things better I support my customers to design their perfect workplace of the future. What does your workplace need so you can be successful and how is it going to change over the next 5 or 10 years? 

Personally I love to travel the world and let CrossFit take me to my physical limits. In order to come to rest and increase my concentration I find myself in the forests of Austria in various bow sport clubs.


taplio

The Battle

Vince Menzione

Stephan Frühwirth

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?