New tech arrival: Microsoft expert joins Kin + Carta

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New tech arrival: Microsoft expert joins Kin + Carta

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Meet Firas Hamza—EU Director for Microsoft Solutions

Kin + Carta’s partnerships team is expanding, again! Over the last few years, our team has gone from a small group of talented experts to a fast-growing community of highly skilled, trained, and certified partnership professionals. It’s their fantastic contributions that have empowered us to continue to build on our strong and productive partner relationships.

Now, as we continue to evolve and refine our Microsoft partnership, we are welcoming another new face to our team. Firas Hamza—our EU Director for Microsoft Solutions—brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role. Here’s what he had to say about his past achievements, joining Kin + Carta, and the exciting opportunities that Microsoft technology opens up for our enterprise clients.

Tell us about your previous work experience and the skills you bring to the 
team?

I’ve learned a lot over the last 25 years working in the technology consulting field. During my career with Microsoft, I worked on many complex initiatives, and I became the dream, design, and deliver guy. From leading envisioning workshops where I guided the C-suite of global companies to imagine their digital transformation journey (dream); to architecting complex solutions to challenging problems in healthcare (design); and migrating big companies to the cloud. It felt good to know I helped major healthcare institutions to improve patient experience in multiple areas. 

I enjoy projects that require me to think through problems with solutions that don’t have a tested model. Of all the projects I’ve worked on, a couple stand out. The first was my time designing the enterprise architecture for Qatar’s national health insurance system, the first in the region. I spent six months in Qatar, working against a deadline to complete so that Qatar could comply with FIFA World Cup requirements. 

The second stand-out project was returning to Baghdad (where I grew up) in 2003 as a civilian contractor and the IT director for operations with the US military. Working in a war zone, I set up the IT infrastructure and designed software that allowed the US to build the new Iraqi Army. That project was physically dangerous, and it presented technical, cultural, and logistical challenges at every turn. It was also a chance to give back to both my country of birth and my adopted country. I feel grateful and proud that I was able to complete that project. 

These projects and others have honed my technical and strategic thinking skills. My collaborations with colleagues have offered opportunities to learn and to teach. As the saying goes, you go faster alone, but further together. Overall, one of the most important skills I have learned in my career in IT is that I must have a growth mindset. There is always more to learn, something new to tackle. Technology is always changing. A growth mindset is what enables me—any of us—to show value to our customers. 

What made you want to pursue a career at Kin + Carta?

When I was at Microsoft, I had the opportunity to work with partners across the globe. A company like Microsoft is as strong as its ecosystem of partners. I saw what can be accomplished when you combine Microsoft’s platform technologies with the experience, depth, and flexibility that the right partner can bring. Kin + Carta is that partner. And I wanted to be part of a company that can innovate across industry boundaries.
 

Man standing in front of Microsoft logo and tag line.

What excites you about being on the Microsoft partnership team?

What I love about the Microsoft partnership team is that this company has a great, collaborative culture, backed by a diverse, talented, global team. It’s a fantastic combination and I’m excited to be a part of it. We are empowered to do what’s best for our customers. We’re set up for success. Where our customers want to transform their businesses, we can help them get there by building foundational elements like data estate migration and identifying organisational and technical barriers through cloud modernisation. All the time helping them to achieve their vision and get closer to their North Star.

What are you most excited about in the Microsoft technology space in the near future?

We read sensational headlines every day about AI. You can hear the excitement around AI strategy in every organisation. There’s a huge AI gold rush to bring it to the public. In so many sectors—manufacturing, healthcare, finance, etc.—there are possibilities for productivity growth with a level of democratisation of information that was previously impossible. This means lots of new solutions to old problems. I’m excited that at Kin + Carta we can help our customers to navigate this new world. 

How do you like to spend your downtime? 

I live close to the Mediterranean Sea in Spain, and I love swimming and paddle boarding here. I also enjoy hiking with my wife on the weekends. One of my favourite ways to relax is to cook for my family and friends. I don’t like to brag, but I make a great seafood paella.

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