Rachel Bondi

Innovative Leadership at Microsoft Asia I am an executive innovative leader with over 25 years of experience at Microsoft, currently holding the position of Corporate Vice President for a multi-billion-dollar organization leading Asia Small, Medium Enterprises and Channel Sales. In this capacity, I lead a team 1000 people accountable for strategy and business operations to support millions of customers across 20 countries. In addition to my commercial accountability at Microsoft, I am recognised within and outside Microsoft an AI thought leader and a champion for the responsible use of AI, a technology that is expected to add up to $115 billion in productivity gains to the Australian economy by 2030. Career Journey My illustrious career at Microsoft began in the Australia subsidiary shortly after graduating university. My outstanding performance earned me the prestigious Bill Gates Chairman’s Award in 2001, and I was then recruited to join the company’s Headquarters in Seattle to lead various strategy and business development organizations in Cloud technology. I have held several senior leadership roles and worked across 3 continents. I am recognised as a leader that delivers strong growth and innovation outcomes through Microsoft's ecosystem. Champion for Diversity and Inclusion I am the Global Co-Chair for Indigenous at Microsoft, where I champion initiatives to support Indigenous communities in Australia, New Zealand and globally. I also won the Diversity & Inclusion Champion award at the ARN Women in ICT Awards in 2021, recognizing my outstanding efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion in the technology sector of Australia. During that time the initiative of "Champion of Change" program for Microsoft technology partners, which I initiated in partnership with Elizabeth Broderick. This initiative was to support SME technology firms in Australia, fostering an environment where women and business can thrive. Leading with AI for Inclusion and Scale I am a thought leader in driving AI growth and innovation across Asia. By integrating advanced AI tools, I am transforming business collaboration and ensuring every member sees the potential in AI to support their business and professional goals. Through conversations with Dr. Juliet Bourke and other industry advisors, I am involved in a project considering the capabilities of leaders in the age of AI to lead to more inclusively. I am a thought leader in leveraging AI to drive inclusion and scale within my organization. I led the team in adopting Microsoft Copilot where our team is ranked in the top 3 globally on daily active, though integrating generative AI into everyday behaviours with the goal to create an even more unified, collaborative environment. These AI-driven initiatives have not only enhanced team productivity but also fostered a more inclusive workplace by ensuring diverse voices are heard and valued. Personal Life and Commitment to Communities I hold a degree in education from the University of Queensland and reside in Sydney with my husband and two teenage daughters. I am deeply committed to supporting communities in Queensland and New South Wales having grown up as a young girl in a small rural town where career options were limited. My visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to digital transformation and diversity make me a prominent figure in these communities and ensure they are not marginalized given lower take up of AI in regional communities.