A perk of the job was travelling to the locale of the new office and immersing myself in the culture to ensure an authentic experience for our customers. For example, when Microsoft Hellas was established in 1992, we wanted the office to look, feel, and represent the way business is done in Greece, including the culture, norms, and sensibilities. I remember learning about the importance of greeting visitors to the office; of taking the time to properly welcome someone with a coffee and a chat; and the emphasis on building rapport
and trust, before getting to business. This role was the start of my journey; balancing Microsoft as a global and local company. I carried these experiences into my next job, taking Microsoft.com worldwide. The challenge was to translate our English website into 30 local sites while ensuring accuracy for each market yet retaining the corporate brand. We were learning how to balance global and local - from globalization and translation into localization and marketization.
Brand Quarterly
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