Mark Smith
Managing Partner
Auckland
Technology ecosystem strategist, futurist, and Product Manager at Cloud Lighthouse, Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional), speaker and host of the Microsoft Business Applications Podcast. Mark's ability to make complex concepts easy to understand has made him a trusted advisor to C-suite leaders in the Financial Services, Federal Government, Education, and Health sectors. Originally from Aotearoa, New Zealand, Mark's 20+ year career in Microsoft Business Applications, specifically Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform, has taken him all over the world, from NZ to Australia, Hong Kong, China and the Philippines, the UK, and the US. Mark has a deep understanding of the Microsoft ecosystem but has always been motivated by the impact this technology has on the people who use it. That focus on people has seen him work directly with Microsoft to develop design thinking-based sales enablement programs for their global teams, curate and lead teams for Microsoft Partners, and mentor thousands worldwide. Mark enjoys being at the forefront of what's happening and helping organisations reimagine their products and services for our future.
Highlights
Trained thousands of Microsoft's staff worldwide on Microsoft Business Applications and design thinking
MVP since 2012, specialising in the Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365
Host of the Microsoft Business Application Podcast with over 540 episodes (and counting) and an international following
Contributing author to Microsoft Dynamics Exams since 2013
Previous recipient of global and national Microsoft “Partner of the Year” awards, specifically in Public Sector
Podcast
Expertise
Topics
Scaling adoption of the Power Platform, and maximising return on investments via a Center for Enablement
Empowering decision-makers with actionable insights based on real-world scenarios
Design Thinking for requirements gathering and solution prioritization
Community building
Capability development and career progression
Microsoft Partner Marketing
Technologies
Composable application platform technologies, including Microsoft Power Platform
Business applications, including Dynamics 365 and SAP
Cloud infrastructure including Microsoft Azure and (earlier in career) physical infrastructure, networks, etc.
Sustainability Management for ESG reporting
Industries
Financial Services (Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Macquarie Group, RaboBank)
Primary Sector (Rio Tinto, INPEX, Genesis Energy)
Public Sector (Federal Government, Australian Defence Force, Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, Main Roads Western Australia, Civil Aviation Safety Authority, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise)
Education (University of Melbourne, TAFE, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology)
Non-profit (Cancer Council, Red Cross, Youthline)
Transportation (Air New Zealand, MOL Hong Kong, Crown International, Deutsche Bahn)
Microsoft and Microsoft Partners (IBM, SMS Management & Technology, Birchman Group, founder of New Zealand partner Magnetism)
Noted Publications