According to CRN, David Smith, Microsoft’s vice president of worldwide channel sales and a nearly 30-year company veteran, has left to join Google. Smith was responsible for over $100 billion in partner-driven and co-sell revenue worldwide and worked with Microsoft’s network of 500,000 global partners. His departure comes just months after being named one of CRN’s 2025 Channel Chiefs, reporting directly to Microsoft Chief Partner Officer Nicole Dezen. Smith announced his move on LinkedIn, calling Google’s mission “more vital than ever” and saying “the opportunity ahead is massive” for helping customers unlock their potential through Google’s innovation.
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Microsoft’s Biggest Loss
This isn’t just another executive moving between tech giants. Smith managed Microsoft’s entire partner ecosystem—the system integrators, MSPs, distributors, and telecom partners that drive the company’s enterprise business. Over $100 billion in revenue flowed through his organization. That’s institutional knowledge walking out the door to a direct competitor. And he’s not just any executive—he was deeply embedded in Microsoft’s channel strategy for decades, through the cloud transition and everything that came before it.
Google‘s Aggressive Play
Google’s been trying to build a serious enterprise channel for years, but they’ve always struggled to match Microsoft’s partner loyalty. Now they’re going for the throat. Hiring Smith isn’t just about getting a talented executive—it’s about acquiring decades of relationships and understanding how Microsoft’s partner machine actually works. Smith knows where the bodies are buried, which partners are unhappy, and where Microsoft’s channel strategy has weaknesses. This feels like Google finally getting serious about competing in the enterprise space through partners rather than just direct sales.
The Real Battle
Here’s the thing: cloud and AI partnerships are everything right now. Microsoft’s entire Azure growth story depends on partners selling and implementing their solutions. Google Cloud has been playing catch-up, and they clearly decided the fastest way to close the gap was to hire the person who built Microsoft’s system. But can one person really transfer that magic? Microsoft’s partner culture took decades to build, and Google’s historically had a reputation for being partner-unfriendly. Smith might have the playbook, but he’s still working with a very different team and culture.
What Comes Next
I’m genuinely curious how Microsoft responds. They can’t be happy about this, especially since Smith was reporting to their chief partner officer. Will we see non-compete battles? Counter-offers to key partners? This move signals that the cloud wars are entering a new, more aggressive phase where talent poaching becomes strategic warfare. For partners, this could mean better deals and more attention from both companies. But it also creates awkward situations for those who work with both Microsoft and Google. Basically, the enterprise tech world just got a lot more interesting.
