Microsoft Mentors

What does it really look like to build a business in the Microsoft ecosystem, sell it, and then do it all again? In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli sits down with Mags Totten, CRO at Yavrio and one of the most well-known commercial leaders in the Microsoft partner community, to unpack a career shaped by reinvention, timing, and a clear ability to spot where the market is heading next. From launching IA Cubed at the moment cloud was becoming the next major shift, to building Akari around accessibility and automation, to stepping into the ISV world with Yavrio, Mags shares what it takes to keep evolving while staying commercially sharp. This is a conversation about much more than startup success. Mags reflects on what changed when IA Cubed shifted from a lifestyle business into a company built for exit, what she learned from navigating post-acquisition integration, and why the Microsoft partner ecosystem has been such an important constant across every chapter of her journey. She also explains how her second company was shaped by a more personal mission, and why she still believes the best operators are the ones who can see what’s coming just before everyone else does. Along the way, the conversation explores cloud adoption, accessibility, modern work, product-led growth, partner strategy, the move from services into ISV, and what the next growth chapter at Yavrio could look like. For founders, Microsoft partners, commercial leaders, and anyone trying to build something meaningful in the ecosystem, this episode offers a grounded look at what it means to start, scale, exit, and start again. If you enjoy this episode, don’t forget to like, follow, and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. What You’ll Learn in This Episode • Why Mags launched IA Cubed at the point cloud was becoming the next big market shift • How personal loss changed the company’s trajectory from lifestyle business to exit-focused growth • What Mags learned while building a business that investors would want to buy • Why brand, relationships, and ecosystem presence mattered so much in attracting acquisition interest • What the reality of post-acquisition integration looks like for founders, teams, and customers • How an accessibility event helped spark the vision behind Akari • Why technology became a bridge for inclusion, and how that shaped Akari’s early direction • What changed when Mags moved from service-led growth into the world of product and ISVs • Why Microsoft is putting bigger strategic focus on ISVs and ecosystem extensibility • What drew Mags to Yavrio and why she believes it’s the right business at the right time Memorable Quotes “we decided that we were going to be Scotland's first cloud champion.” “we started looking at how we would build a company to exit, which was brand new to me.” “It's a very steep learning curve and it's something you have to learn on the job, not alongside the job.” “I can usually see what's going to come just before it starts to come.” “what we're trying to do is change how fintech works.” Enjoyed the Episode? Subscribe to the Microsoft Mentors Newsletter for insight-led conversations on leadership, growth, partnerships, technology, and scale across the Microsoft ecosystem. Links & Resources Connect with Margaret Totten on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/margarettotten/Connect with Oli Ridley on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/oli-ridley/Follow Cloud Decisions on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/clouddecisions About Cloud Decisions Cloud Decisions helps Microsoft Partners and Microsoft-aligned businesses build high-performing teams across Cloud, Data, Security, and AI. As a trusted Microsoft Talent Partner, we combine deep ecosystem knowledge with data-led hiring strategies to help organisations scale securely and sustainably in a rapidly evolving technology landscape.

“I can usually see what’s coming… just before it starts to come.”
That ability to spot what’s next before the market catches up is what separates good operators from great founders.
In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, we sit down with Mags Totten to unpack a career built on seeing shifts early… and acting on them.
From building Scotland’s first cloud-focused business…
To scaling with an exit in mind…
To now operating at the intersection of finance and technology…
This is a conversation about timing, conviction, and building with intent.
In this episode, we explore:
What it really takes to build a business with exit in mind
The mindset behind spotting market shifts before they happen
Why cloud adoption was just the beginning, not the end game
The reality of building and scaling in emerging markets
What it means to operate at the intersection of fintech and technology
Why passion (not balance) often drives the best outcomes
This isn’t theory.
It’s lived experience from someone who’s built, scaled, and exited, and is now doing it again in a completely new space.
💬 If you’re a Microsoft Partner, founder, or operator:
Where do you think the next big shift is happening right now?
🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with leaders across the Microsoft ecosystem
🎧 Follow Microsoft Mentors for insights on cloud, AI, and Partner growth

What does Microsoft’s AI story actually look like now, once you get beyond the surface-level Copilot conversation? In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli sits down with Alex Pearce, Chief Strategist for Microsoft at Softcat and one of the UK’s longest-standing Microsoft MVPs, to unpack how the Microsoft AI landscape is evolving in real time. From the early days of Copilot as an in-app productivity tool to the rapid rise of agents, MCPs, extensibility, Microsoft Foundry, and frontier AI, Alex gives a grounded, practical view of what’s changing and what organisations need to understand next. This is a conversation about much more than product releases. Alex breaks down why the real opportunity in Microsoft AI is increasingly moving toward agentic workflows, richer context, and systems that can interact with data more intelligently. He also explains why Microsoft’s long-term edge may not always be first-mover innovation, but the ability to bring powerful AI capability into compliant, enterprise-ready environments. Along the way, the conversation explores frontier terminology, the growing role of MCPs as a foundational AI integration layer, the rise of shadow AI inside businesses, and why observability, quality assurance, and human oversight will become critical as agents get more capable. For Microsoft partners, technical leaders, and anyone trying to understand what comes after “just use Copilot,” this episode offers a clear lens on where the ecosystem is heading next. 👉 If you enjoy this episode, don’t forget to like, follow, and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. 💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode Why Alex says Copilot has evolved from a productivity tool into something much broader How Microsoft’s AI story now spans AI in Office, native AI apps, data and extensibility, and agentic platforms What Microsoft means by “frontier” — both as a transformation idea and a product lifecycle stage Why agents are creating more ROI than simple prompt-based use cases for many organisations How MCPs are becoming a foundational integration layer across Microsoft and other AI ecosystems Why context quality still drives output quality in AI and agent design Where Microsoft may hold an advantage over other AI vendors when compliance and governance matter How shadow AI is becoming a real commercial and operational risk inside organisations Why infrastructure, hyperscaler demand, and hardware constraints may shape the next phase of AI growth Why observability and quality assurance could become one of the most important disciplines in agentic AI 💬 Memorable Quotes “copilot is getting complicated, but for the good.” “it’s copilot not autopilot at this point.” “the more context you can give, the better the output.” “Microsoft will always bring these and go, there you go. Now you can use it in a GDPR data center.” “Quality assurance and observability with agentic is going to be so important. If you want to start a startup today, build that.” 📬 Enjoyed the Episode? Subscribe to the Microsoft Mentors Newsletter for insight-led conversations on cyber security, AI, leadership, and scale inside the Microsoft Partner ecosystem: 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7175453155780915200 🔗 Links & Resources Connect with Alex Pearce on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajp15/Explore Softcat 👉https://www.softcat.com/Connect with Oli Ridley on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/oli-ridley/Follow Cloud Decisions on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/clouddecisions 🏢 About Cloud Decisions Cloud Decisions helps Microsoft Partners and Microsoft-aligned businesses build high-performing teams across Cloud, Data, Security, and AI.

Most Microsoft Partners don’t have a demand problem.

They have a talent problem.

In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli and Alex break down what’s really driving growth (and friction) inside the Microsoft Partner ecosystem, from Azure hiring challenges to scaling delivery teams effectively.

This is a straight-talking conversation about:

Hiring strategy vs hiring reality
Why roles stay open (even with “100s of applicants”)
The link between talent, delivery, and customer outcomes
What Partner leaders need to rethink in today’s market

If you’re building or leading a Microsoft practice, this episode will feel very familiar, and probably challenge a few assumptions too.

How do you build a standout career in technology while staying relevant through every major shift in the Microsoft ecosystem? In this episode of Microsoft Mentors, Oli sits down with James Pearse, CTO at ATEC Cloud, to unpack a career built on momentum, curiosity, and stepping outside the comfort zone. From early systems administration and consultancy pressure to Microsoft, global nonprofit work, cloud security, and building a modern Microsoft partner, James shares the moments that shaped his thinking and the principles that have served him throughout. Drawing on more than 20 years in technology, James reflects on what it takes to grow through change, lead with credibility under pressure, and stay commercially relevant as cloud, security, and AI continue to reshape the market. The conversation also explores where customer demand is heading now, why AI needs stronger governance, and what real differentiation looks like for Microsoft partners trying to stand out in an increasingly crowded market. 👉 If you enjoy this episode, don’t forget to like, follow, and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode Why James believes the best careers in tech are built by putting your hand up How moving from internal IT into consultancy changed the pressure and pace of delivery What James learned from working with Microsoft and leading technology engagements for the United Nations How cloud and security became the defining inflection points in his career What it takes to build credibility and project clarity in leadership roles Why Microsoft partners need sharper focus to differentiate in a crowded market How ATEC Cloud approached growth across security, managed services, and the wider Microsoft ecosystem Why AI security and governance are becoming critical as agents and copilots scale How to separate genuine AI use cases from simple workflow and automation problems Why the next phase of opportunity for Microsoft partners will depend on depth, clarity, and specialism
💬 Memorable Quotes “You can’t be afraid to ever step outside your comfort zone. You can’t be ever afraid to not put your hand up.” “You need to be able to portray that this is what we’re doing, this is why we’re doing it and this is how we’re going to do it.” “AI is really starting to pick up momentum, but no one’s really thinking about security of it.” “AI isn’t going to solve everything.” “You can’t be a jack of all trades because you’re being an expert at nothing.” 📬 Enjoyed the Episode? Subscribe to the Microsoft Mentors Newsletter for insight-led conversations on cyber security, AI, leadership, and scale inside the Microsoft Partner ecosystem: 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7175453155780915200
🔗 Links & Resources Connect with James Pearse on LinkedIn 👉https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamespearse/Explore ATEC Cloud 👉https://atech.cloud/Connect with Oli Ridley on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/oli-ridley/Follow Cloud Decisions on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/clouddecisions 🏢 About Cloud Decisions Cloud Decisions helps Microsoft Partners and Microsoft-aligned businesses build high-performing teams across Cloud, Data, Security, and AI. As a trusted Microsoft Talent Partner, we combine deep ecosystem knowledge with data-led hiring strategies to help organisations scale securely and sustainably in a rapidly evolving technology landscape.