An Interview With A New Microsoft Regional Director: Ken Azuma

        Last month, all of us at Infragistics received some great news! Our colleague Ken Azuma was chosen as a Microsoft Regional Director. Being chosen as a Microsoft Regional Director is an incredible accomplishment, and we are all very excited for Ken and his opportunity! It is no common feat to be selected, for according to Microsoft, to be chosen as a regional director one must “exhibit a mastery over a wide variety of technologies.” To recognize Ken’s great accomplishment, I interviewed him in order to not only get some information about him and what he does here at Infragistics but also to find out what he will be doing as a Microsoft Regional Director.

        Our interview began by me asking some questions regarding his background. I started by asking Ken how he got involved with technology in the beginning of his career. While working to obtain his masters, Ken joined several academic-industrial cooperation projects that revolved around software development. Through this experience, he decided to apply to jobs within IT and SI until one day he thought, “someday, automatic software will be more sophisticated than it is now,” which led him to eventually want to go into the more “business-side”. Ken eventually took his first job working at a temporary staffing company within the IT department. After working in the IT department, Ken switched jobs a few times, eventually leading him to become a senior RIA architect. When I asked Ken if he personally chose to go into RIA, or if it just worked out that way, he responded stating, “Actually, it was determined by my genes! During my IT department days I realized that I wanted to find a “better” way to develop software in an easy and productive way.”

        The desire to develop software efficiently caused Ken to begin working with a rapid development framework called “ColdFusion”. After working with the technology and the community, Ken eventually became the Chairman of the Tokyo ColdFusion user group and this was really the starting point of his community activity. After switching jobs and becoming a server side developer and project manager, Ken had the chance to work on a joint project with an RIA agency. While working on this project, Ken realized that this was his calling. The hidden design-oriented gene within him of which was likely passed down by his father who is a textile designer began to come out and guide Ken in a new direction. This led Ken to eventually join Infragistics in 2011 as a Senior UX Architect. I asked Ken what he does each day while he is at work and he told me, “I do a lot of consultations with customers on User Interface or User Experience.” In addition to this position, Ken is also the Managing Director of the Japan and APAC regions, in which he manages profit and loss, sales revenue, and customer satisfaction. Being in sales in a global company is “a challenge and a lot of fun” for Ken, and having the ability to work directly with customers not only has a positive effect on his sales, but also spices up his life a bit.

        In addition to his recent accomplishment, Ken has had quite a few notable achievements. As a senior UX architect, Ken has had the chance to speak at MIX, which is a gathering of developers, designers, UX experts and business professionals “creating the most innovative and profitable consumer sites on the web,” several times. Ken specifically noted two other great accomplishments since he joined Infragistics, one being the creation of his training course and book on designing user interface and structuring user experience. His other accomplishment is the partnership between Infragistics and another well known global company, which is the biggest engagement that we have company wide. Ken stated that this “has had a great impact for both companies,” and that he is “very proud that I could accomplish this great partnership with my team.” It should also be noted that in addition to being chosen as a Microsoft Regional Director, Ken has also been chosen as a Microsoft MVP for his value to the industry, customers, and community.

        After getting some background information on Ken, we directed our discussion towards being selected as a Microsoft Regional Director. Being a Regional Director, Ken is not employed by Microsoft; however, he is expected to promote their technologies. When I asked Ken what his area of expertise as a regional director is, he answered “my area of expertise is not deep technology side, but is in customer strategy and selecting client technologies.” While Ken must know the characteristics of the technologies he will be helping clients select, he also has to be able to suggest the appropriate technologies from an objective point of view. He described himself as sort of the “translator” between business and design and development. By being this “translator”, Ken will be “bridging the gap between customers and Microsoft” by working with customers who want to know the direction of Microsoft and which long term technology is right for them. I continued our discussion by asking Ken if being a regional director would allow him to travel or speak in places that he may not previously had the opportunity to. He told me that he was not sure yet, but that he would personally like to expand the area he has worked and spoken in. Ken’s ultimate desire is to again speak at Microsoft’s Tier1 Conference where he has spoken at MIX several times in the past. In addition to getting information on what Ken will be doing as a Microsoft Regional Director, I also asked Ken what his reaction was to being selected in which he humbly responded, “I was really surprised! Because so many of my friends are already Regional Directors, but they are so talented and well known in each of their categories.” He continued saying, “They are truly in a class of their own. I am so proud of this selection, but I also have to continue to polish my sense and knowledge to be on the same stage with them.” Ken’s humble words convey his deep appreciation for not only the work he enjoys doing so much, but also the respect that he has for the great minds working in the same industry as him. This is a great representation of Ken as a professional, as well as a clear display of his character.

        In addition to the more specific questions I asked Ken, I also asked him a few extra questions that I was personally interested in. Being here in New Jersey, and Ken being across the world in Japan, I was curious about the differences between the Japan/APAC region, in which he is a Managing Director for Infragistics, and the American region. Ken started by stating that there are clearly cultural differences, such as how we conduct business, our priorities, level of qualities, and so on, and he then asked, “But we’re all human right?” This led to Ken explaining how since we are anatomically the same and we essentially use interfaces the same. Because of this, Ken tries to introduce the same general user experience to his customers. However, he then went to say, “But at the same time, globalization does not mean that the U.S. way of thinking rules the world,” and that embracing diversity is so important. In order to sort of “solve” the conflict of working with other people in such a diverse world, Ken stated that he wants to continue to polish his communication skills and continue to learn about and understand others, for only then will the “gap” be filled. Through his desire to continue to grow as a professional and as a person in general, I could really tell that Ken is incredibly passionate in what he does. Because of this, I decided to ask him what his favorite part of his job is. He stated “Being a UX architect in a global software company brings endless surprise and fun for me,” and he continued starting “Infragistics embraces diversity of cultures, and I like that.” Ken’s favorite part of his job is being able to help satisfy customers and their needs, and getting that final “thank you” is what it is all about. Ken not only loves what he does, but he wholeheartedly recommends getting into UX and UX design, “because they do not depend on specific technologies, but universal skill.” Lastly, I asked Ken if there was anything he would like to share. His response was “As managing director of JP/APAC regions of Infragistics, I want to be a good advisor to our customers. Through these actions, I can also create more awareness of Microsoft technologies as well. Please feel free to reach out to me! Doumo arigatou gozaimasu (thank you very much)!”

        Ken Azuma is a hardworking, passionate professional who is dedicated to ensuring the most positive experiences and outcomes for his customers. His value and expertise is second to none, and he absolutely deserved to be selected as a Microsoft Regional Director. You can find and interact with Ken on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Doumo arigatou gozaimasu for the interview Ken, and congratulations!