Global Strategic Account Director, Financial Services
Microsoft · Zürich
OverviewMicrosoft's Financial Services organization is seeking an accomplished Global Strategic Account Director to lead one of our most important and strategic global client relationships.
This role represents one of Microsoft's most consequential leadership opportunities within the Financial Services industry.
The Global Strategic Account Director serves as Microsoft's lead business executive, accountable for the overall executive relationship, strategic partnership, and long-term business outcomes across the account.
The successful candidate will combine deep industry expertise, executive credibility, transformational leadership, and technical acumen to help the customer accelerate its AI-powered business transformation while strengthening Microsoft's position as a trusted strategic partner.
This role requires the ability to engage and influence at the Board, Group Executive Board, and C-suite level, shape transformation agendas, mobilize One Microsoft, and create measurable business impact through innovation, technology, and execution.
Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.
Responsibilities
Lead the Strategic Partnership
- Serve as the executive sponsor for the overall relationship between Microsoft and the customer.
- Establish trusted advisor relationships with Board members, Group Executive Board executives, and business and technology leaders.
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of the customer’s business strategy, transformation priorities, regulatory environment, and operating model evolution.
- Position Microsoft as a strategic transformation partner that helps the customer achieve its growth, productivity, resiliency, and innovation objectives.
- Represent the customer’s perspective across Microsoft, ensuring the full strength of Microsoft is aligned to customer priorities.
Accelerate AI-Powered Business Transformation
- Partner with business leaders to define how AI can fundamentally reshape client engagement, wealth management, advisory services, operations, software engineering, risk management, and employee productivity.
- Help the customer accelerate its AI agenda and translate strategic ambition into enterprise-scale transformation and measurable business outcomes.
- Lead executive discussions on Frontier Firm transformation, agentic AI, new operating models, and the future of work in banking.
- Connect Microsoft's end-to-end platform capabilities across Microsoft 365, Copilot, Azure AI, Data, Security, Business Applications, and Cloud Infrastructure to the customer’s transformation priorities.
- Help the customer navigate the opportunities and challenges associated with AI adoption, including governance, compliance, resiliency, cyber security, privacy, operational risk, and digital sovereignty.
- Drive strategic engagement around the customer’s enterprise AI transformation agenda and support execution against the company's highest-priority business outcomes.
Orchestrate One Microsoft
- Define and communicate a compelling account vision, long-term growth strategy, and transformational roadmap.
- Lead and inspire a diverse virtual account team across sales, engineering, customer success, consulting, industry solutions, partner organizations, and Microsoft leadership.
- Create clarity, alignment, and accountability across stakeholders with a relentless focus on customer outcomes.
- Mobilize Product Groups, Engineering, Industry leadership, Frontier teams, and Microsoft executives to support strategic customer priorities.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and execution excellence across the account ecosystem.
Deliver Sustainable Growth and Business Impact
- Identify transformational opportunities that create enterprise value for the customer while driving long-term growth for Microsoft.
- Establish executive sponsorship and organizational alignment for large-scale, multi-year transformation initiatives.
- Maintain sustained operational rigor and execution discipline across complex sales and transformation programs.
- Anticipate risks early, remove barriers, and ensure successful realization of customer and Microsoft commitments.
- Strengthen Microsoft's executive presence, strategic relevance, and market position across the customer organization.
AI Fluency as a Leader
AI fluency is a foundational leadership expectation for this role.
The successful candidate will demonstrate both personal and professional mastery of AI, using it to drive business outcomes, accelerate decision making, improve productivity, and unlock new forms of customer value.
Specifically, the leader will:
- Possess a sophisticated understanding of how AI is transforming the Financial Services industry and redefining market advantage.
- Bring a point of view on Frontier Firm transformation and the organizational shifts required to succeed in an AI-first world.
- Use AI as a daily leadership capability and role model AI adoption, experimentation, and continuous learning.
- Engage credibly with business, technology, risk, and regulatory leaders on enterprise AI strategy and execution.
- Identify opportunities to reinvent business processes, customer experiences, and operating models through AI-powered innovation.
- Build AI capability and confidence across the broader account team and customer ecosystem.
Microsoft Leadership Expectations
As one of Microsoft's top customer-facing leaders, the Global Strategic Account Director is expected to exemplify Microsoft's Leadership Principles and culture.
Create Clarity
- Articulate a compelling vision for the future of banking and the customer’s transformation journey.
- Simplify complexity and align diverse stakeholders around a shared strategic direction.
- Translate customer priorities into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.
Generate Energy
- Inspire confidence, ambition, and momentum across customers, partners, and Microsoft teams.
- Build inclusive, high-performing teams that embrace accountability, innovation, and collaboration.
- Lead through influence and create an environment where people can do their most impactful work.
Deliver Success
- Consistently execute at the highest level against strategic commitments and business objectives.
- Balance long-term transformation with near-term operational excellence.
- Drive measurable customer impact and sustainable growth for Microsoft.
Live Microsoft's Culture
- Model a Growth Mindset through curiosity, continuous learning, and adaptability.
- Demonstrate Customer Obsession by deeply understanding customer challenges and opportunities.
- Foster Diversity and Inclusion, ensuring different perspectives strengthen decision-making and outcomes.
- Operate with integrity, transparency, accountability, and a One Microsoft mindset.
- Earn trust through authenticity, consistency, and a commitment to long-term partnership.
Qualifications
What We Are Looking For
Proven experience leading strategic global accounts, major transformation programs, or large business units within Financial Services.
Deep expertise in banking, wealth management, or capital markets, with comprehensive understanding of industry trends, regulatory requirements, and operating models.
An established executive network and recognized credibility within the Swiss Financial Services ecosystem.
Demonstrated ability to build trusted advisor relationships with Board-level and C-suite executives.
Proven track record of leading organizational transformation and business change at scale.
Deep understanding of AI, cloud, security, data, and platform transformation and their impact on business performance.
Demonstrated commercial acumen and experience managing complex multi-year strategic opportunities.
Deep technical credibility combined with business leadership capabilities.
Experience leading consulting, transformation, or professional services engagements.
Proven communication, storytelling, and executive influencing skills.
Fluency in English and German.
In-depth knowledge of the Swiss market and willingness to be closely connected to the customer’s leadership ecosystem in Zurich.
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role means:
The customer views Microsoft as one of its most trusted strategic transformation partners.
Microsoft is actively shaping the customer’s AI-powered business transformation agenda.
Established executive relationships exist across the Board, Group Executive Board, and leadership community.
Microsoft's capabilities are fully aligned to the customer’s most important business priorities and strategic initiatives.
AI transformation moves from experimentation to scaled business impact across the enterprise.
One Microsoft operates with excellence, clarity, and accountability around the customer.
Sustainable customer value creation translates into long-term growth and strategic relevance for both the customer and Microsoft.
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.