Microsoft Executive Biographies
S. Somasegar
Corporate Vice President | Microsoft
S. Somasegar is the corporate vice president of the Developer
Division at Microsoft. Somasegar is responsible for
engineering and marketing for developer tools and services,
programming languages and runtimes designed for a broad base
of software developers and development teams, including the
Visual Studio and Expression families of products, .NET
Framework, and Team Foundation Server. Somasegar also owns
developer evangelism efforts spanning the full array of
Microsoft platforms. His team also owns MSDN and TechNet
online properties to enable a deep connection with the developer and IT
professional audiences. In addition, Somasegar is responsible for the Server
and Tools Business Global Development Centers in China, India, and Israel,
and he is the executive sponsor for these centers for all of Microsoft.
Somasegar joined Microsoft in 1989 and contributed to eight releases of
Windows before leading Developer Division. Somasegar holds a master's degree
in computer engineering from Louisiana State University and a bachelor's
degree in electronics and communication engineering from Guindy Engineering
College, Anna University in Chennai, India.
In 2006, Somasegar was awarded an honorary doctorate from Anna University. In
2008, he was presented the Asian American Engineer of the Year Award.
Somasegar lives in the Seattle area. He and his wife have two daughters. He
frequently shares his thoughts via his blog
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/Somasegar.
Steve Guggenheimer
Corporate Vice President & Chief Evangelist | Microsoft
Steve Guggenheimer is corporate vice president of Microsoft's
Developer & Platform Evangelism (DPE) group, responsible for
enabling the development of industry leading applications and
services globally across devices.
As Microsoft’s Chief
Evangelist, Steve has spoken at events around the world
showcasing and announcing the latest software, services and
devices. His deep knowledge of technology and passion for
enabling new experiences mixed with his down to earth style
make him a trusted voice in the technology industry. When he
isn’t evangelizing the latest apps or devices, he enjoys
rugby matches and cheering on his hometown Seattle Seahawks.
Steve was previously the CVP of the OEM Division where he oversaw management
of Microsoft’s relationships with the makers of PCs, tablets, embedded
systems and other devices. Before that, he was focused on Microsoft’s crosscompany Application Platform strategy and has worked on and managed a variety
of Microsoft product initiatives, including Windows 95 and Windows 98;
Microsoft Internet Explorer 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0; WebTV; MSN; Microsoft SQL
Server; Visual Studio; and BizTalk Server. Steve joined the company in 1993.
Before coming to Microsoft, he was at Spectra-Physics Inc., where he helped
develop and market new lasers and laser technologies for 5 years.
Steve Guggenheimer received a bachelor’s degree in applied physics from the
University of California, Davis, and a master’s degree in engineering
management from Stanford University. He lives in Seattle with his wife and
two children and also serves on the board of The Moyer Foundation, which
helps provide for children in distress, and recently formed “The Guggenheimer
Family Foundation” with his wife Nikki, which raises funds for full time
oncology social work services at Swedish Hospital.
Kurt Steck
General Manager for Audience & Platform Marketing |
Microsoft
As General Manager for Audience & Platform Marketing in
Microsoft’s Developer and Platform Evangelism group, Kurt
Steck leads a talented, global team responsible for ensuring
a center of excellence for developer engagements and
audience marketing.
Kurt is responsible for a unified audience marketing team that brings
together Developer, IT Pro, Startup, ISV, and Academic marketing, and the
engines and programs to reach them, including well know industry events like
TechEd, Build and Imagine Cup. In addition, Kurt oversees Microsoft’s Channel
9 which allows for interaction and discussion between employees and
developers worldwide.
A member of Microsoft for 14 years, Kurt has been an instrumental part of
sales, marketing, business development and management teams throughout the
organization, bringing his special brand of management and keen eye for
hardware and software development to every project on which he has worked.