Microsoft appoints Australian, New Zealand managing director

Microsoft has appointed Jane Livesey as its new managing director for Australia and New Zealand, following the departure of Steven Worrall to Telstra.

Livesey previously led Cognizant’s regional operations and has also held senior positions at PwC, Accenture, and IBM.

She will assume the role in November and report to Microsoft Asia president Rodrigo Lima, who is based in Singapore.

Livesey replaces Worrall, who will start at Telstra this week, while Microsoft’s chief operating officer Steven Miller has served as interim managing director since July.

A key issue for Livesey will be addressing staff morale after Microsoft made over 100 job cuts in Australia in May as part of wider global layoffs.

🔗 Source: The Australian Financial Review

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Microsoft’s AI pivot creates unique leadership challenges for regional executives

Livesey’s appointment comes at a particularly complex time as Microsoft globally reduces its workforce while dramatically increasing AI investments.

The company laid off over 15,300 employees in 2025, representing 7% of its workforce, while simultaneously committing $80 billion to AI infrastructure2.

This strategy has directly impacted the Australia and New Zealand region, with over 100 local positions cut in May as part of the broader global restructuring of 9,000 staff1.

The challenge for Livesey will be rebuilding team morale while executing Microsoft’s AI-first strategy, a balancing act that requires addressing employee concerns about job security while driving adoption of the very technologies that are reshaping the workforce.

Microsoft has mandated AI tool usage for employees, making it a factor in performance evaluations3, which adds another layer of complexity to managing regional teams during this transition period.

2️⃣ Australia and New Zealand represent a strategic growth opportunity in AI adoption

The timing of Microsoft’s leadership change aligns with the region’s accelerating AI transformation and significant market expansion potential.

New Zealand’s IT sector alone is projected to grow from NZ$7.12 billion in 2025 to NZ$8.52 billion by 20294, while 97% of organizations in the country are planning to deploy AI initiatives4.