Erin Rifkin, General Manager at Microsoft, talks about alignment and measurement muscle, how shared OKRs drive the One Microsoft vision, and why learning is the key to, well, everything.
Erin Rifkin is leader who scaled Microsoft's global content and training engine as General Manager and later VP of Developer Relations. She unified docs.microsoft.com, Microsoft Learn, and Channel 9 into must-have hubs that won over developers, architects, and admins worldwide—driving adoption of Azure, Cloud+AI, and open source tools.
Before VP, as GM from 2018-2021, she transformed technical content delivery across Microsoft products, partnering enterprise-wide to align certifications, docs, and experiences that fueled customer success and revenue. Her earlier stints at AWS honed product management for training, solutions architecture, and PMOs in hypergrowth.
Deidre Paknad has founded and led three tech startups, acquired companies and been acquired, and led a high-growth business as an executive at IBM for several years; this affords her a unique perspective on using both speed and scale to drive growth. In her role as CEO at WorkBoard, she works with senior leadership teams at some of the world’s largest companies to clarify, align, and drive strategic priorities with greater speed and agility. She is a frequent speaker on Outcome Mindset™ and tapping into ambition.
Deidre has over a dozen patents and has twice been inducted into the Smithsonian Institution for innovation. Goldman Sachs named her one of the 100 most intriguing entrepreneurs of 2019. Deidre hosts The OKR Podcast, which focuses on accelerating outcomes and fostering an outcomes culture.