Top Microsoft man takes up GDC post

By PETER GRIFFIN

Former Microsoft New Zealand chief Geoff Lawrie has resurfaced to lead the push by listed telecoms contractor GDC Communications into the IT services market.

Lawrie left Microsoft New Zealand in April after six years heading the division to take up a senior role that saw him criss-crossing Asia to develop Microsoft's strategy in the region.

The dream job involved travel - too much of it for Lawrie's liking.

"It came with a travel schedule for me that forced a rethink about what my priorities were, particularly personal priorities," he said.

Lawrie, once singled out by Bill Gates as one of Microsoft's more valued employees, will receive one million GDC shares with an exercise price of $1.15, subject to shareholder approval.

He joins the company as it begins to make progress with its iVASP applications service provision unit.

That business was bolstered last month when GDC signed a reseller deal with Telecom that will generate revenue of up to $10 million in the next year.

Former Telecom executive Kevin Stratful also joins GDC's board. Stratful left Telecom in February after top-level restructuring saw his position pulled from under him.

Sources within the company say Stratful, the former managing director of Lion Breweries, had designs on the top job at Telecom, which did little to please chief executive Theresa Gattung.

Lawrie said he would adapt some of the processes that worked well at Microsoft for GDC but had things to learn about running a public company.

"The publicly listed aspect of it is certainly going to be interesting for me, but GDC's got a very experienced board so it's not a leap into the darkness."