RD

The photo up the top of this blog post was taken 259 days ago, 15 and a half thousand kilometres away in Budapest and with 1.3 billion records less in Have I Been Pwned. It was also taken in an environment that unbeknownst to all of us at the time, would be inconceivable just 6 months later; a packed conference room. Last week I received my third biennial Microsoft Regional Director recognition for doing precisely the sort of thing I was up to in that photo. In thinking about what I'd write to share the news (as I've done for every RD title and every MVP title for almost a decade now), the obvious conclusion was how much the...

I received a very nice email this week: Congratulations, your nomination has been accepted to the Microsoft Regional Director program! I am pleased to welcome you back to this worldwide community of technology thought leaders and thank you for being a part of this community. Just over 2 years ago, I first became a Microsoft Regional Director. This is a role that has meant a great deal to me over that time; it's not one you can sit an exam for and no amount of money will buy you one either. Like the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) role I've had since 2011, it's one that only comes from being an active member of the technology community and contributing to...

This was not what I was expecting earlier this week: I am delighted to welcome you to the Microsoft Regional Director program! More specifically, the nomination I received some weeks back was not what I expected and this week’s message was what I’d dared not get my hopes up too much about. A bit of context first – I’m not going to work for Microsoft and despite the title of “Microsoft Regional Director”, I’m no more an employee than what I was (and still am) an MVP. The MVP title remains and what the Regional Director status does is turns that up to 11. Here’s what they told...