From a summer job on the Windows 95 launch to nearly three decades shaping some of Microsoft’s most iconic products, Debbie Thiel shares a journey defined by curiosity, creativity, and conviction. In this episode of Microsoft Alumni Voices, Debbie reflects on her path from international studies major to product leader across Windows, Casual Games, Xbox, and Microsoft 365. Hear, how she helped bring coherence to Office, championed inclusive design, and led with empathy through the COVID Pandemic and beyond.
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From drying silverware at his family’s Boston restaurant to becoming Microsoft’s Chief Marketing Officer, Chris Capossela’s journey is a masterclass in humility, hustle, and heart. In this episode of Microsoft Alumni Voices, Chris reflects on his 32-year Microsoft career—from driving a U-Haul across the U.S. to demo Office, to working alongside Bill Gates, to helping shape the company’s cultural and cloud transformation under Satya Nadella. Hear how a waiter’s instinct to read the room became a leadership superpower, and why Chris believes the best legacy isn’t a name on a product, but the people you help rise.
Photo courtesy of Microsoft Alumni Network
