Maggie Chan Jones: Leadership isn't a solo pursuit

Maggie Chan Jones began her career journey as a marketer, finding early success at Microsoft where she led marketing for U.S. cloud services and Office 365. She then went on to become the inaugural chief marketing officer for the company that is now CenturyLink and then the global CMO for SAP. But what Chan Jones discovered during that journey was that leadership isn’t a solo pursuit — sponsorship and executive training were key to success. So she launched Tenshey, which aims to elevate women and underrepresented people into leadership roles. She is also an angel investor and serves on the boards of BT Group and Sage Group, both publicly traded companies, as well as nonprofit USTA.

What led you to launch Tenshey? As an immigrant from Hong Kong and someone who learned English as a second language, I thought if I can reach the C-suite, then so many other women can, too. I reflected on what truly propelled my career forward. Beyond hard work, I had sponsors who opened doors to incredible opportunities and an executive coach who served as my sounding board for many years. Those were the gaps I saw for many women — a lack of access to sponsorship and executive coaching. That insight sparked Tenshey and inspired me to write my book Decoding Sponsorship.

How have sponsorship and leadership programs helped you? It was at Microsoft where I developed many of my leadership skills. Nominated by my manager and executives, I was selected to join a high-potential program called the Bench program, where we deepened our leadership capabilities, learned directly from Microsoft executives, and cultivated a peer network. These programs helped me strengthen my voice, resilience, and network — all of which became cornerstones of my leadership style. It was also at Microsoft where I saw the power of sponsorship firsthand. Leaders didn’t just mentor talent. They advocated for them — through promotions, stretch projects, and new opportunities. A real “pinch me” moment was being asked by then-Chief Diversity Officer Gwen Houston to interview then-CEO Steve Ballmer at Microsoft’s Global Women Leadership conference, discussing Microsoft’s strategy and the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce.

What advice do you have for board directors during this divisive time around DEI and sponsorship? I would start with a fundamental question for any business: Do we want access to the entire talent pool? If the answer is yes — and it should be — then we need representation of diverse communities, experiences and perspectives, and we need a sustainable culture where everyone feels they belong and can thrive. Connect the intention of building an inclusive environment with impactful business outcomes — innovation, performance, culture. When framed that way, it’s about good governance, long-term value creation, and building organizations that truly reflect the markets they serve.

What advice do you have for women seeking board roles? I’ve spoken with many senior executives exploring their first board seat, and my biggest advice is to start early. Build relationships before you’re in the market for a board role. Also, know your superpowers. Be clear about the unique expertise and perspective you bring to the boardroom, whether that’s business transformation, AI innovation, or people strategy. And remember, sponsorship still matters at this level. Having someone who will advocate for you at the board level can make all the difference in landing that first board seat.

How do you decide where to invest as an angel investor? I focus on purpose-driven ventures and founders whose missions align with my passion for advancing women in leadership. I was an early investor in Kasha and SpotOn. Kasha’s mission is democratizing access to health products for women in Africa. SpotOn is a pet-friendly ride service that resonates with me as a dog parent. Beyond the mission, I look closely at the founders — their passion, resilience and clarity of vision. That’s also why I’m incredibly honored to be featured in OPULIS: Women Powering Microsoft’s Trillion Dollar Shift, a Women in Cloud initiative that funds AI scholarships for underrepresented talent worldwide. For me, investing isn’t just about financial returns. It’s about impact and the kind of change we can create together. I encourage more women to invest in women-led companies — even a few thousand dollars can have an outsized impact.  

Formidable Founding Member and Women in Cloud Founder Chaitra Vedullapalli has recently launched OPULIS: Women Powering Microsoft’s Trillion-Dollar Shift. This collector’s book and leadership playbook celebrates 50 women who helped shape Microsoft’s evolution into the AI era. Sales of the book support scholarships for Microsoft’s AI Certification program, helping empower the next generation of underrepresented leaders in tech gain the skills they need to succeed.