According to CRN, Google has hired David Smith, Microsoft’s vice president of worldwide channel sales who managed over $100 billion in partner-driven revenue worldwide. Smith announced Tuesday marked his first day at Google after nearly 30 years with Microsoft, where he worked with over 500,000 global partners including system integrators, MSPs, and distributors. His most recent role gave him accountability for Microsoft’s massive partner ecosystem, and he was among three executives included in CRN’s 2025 Channel Chiefs reporting directly to Microsoft’s Chief Partner Officer. Smith previously served as vice president of U.S. partner business until 2022 and VP of worldwide SMB sales from 2017 to 2022 before his worldwide channel leadership position.
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<h2 id="why-this-hurts-microsoft“>Why this hurts Microsoft
Losing someone who managed $100 billion in partner revenue isn’t just about losing an executive—it’s about losing institutional knowledge that money can’t buy. Smith spent nearly three decades building relationships across Microsoft’s entire partner ecosystem. He knew where the bodies were buried, which partnerships were struggling, and exactly how Microsoft’s channel strategy actually worked versus how it looked on paper.
And here’s the thing: Microsoft’s partner network is absolutely massive, with about 500,000 partners worldwide. That’s not something you can easily replace. Smith wasn’t just managing accounts—he was steering a significant portion of Microsoft’s revenue stream. When someone who understands that machine inside and out jumps to your biggest cloud and AI competitor? That’s concerning.
Google’s channel ambitions
Google has been trying to build a serious enterprise channel for years, but they’ve always played second fiddle to Microsoft’s established partner ecosystem. This hire signals they’re finally getting serious about competing for that $100 billion-plus partner revenue. Smith mentioned in his LinkedIn post that he’s excited to work with “Google Partners as the ultimate force multiplier.”
But let’s be real—building a channel culture takes more than hiring one executive, no matter how talented. Microsoft’s partner relationships were built over decades. Google’s approach has often felt more transactional. Can Smith really transplant Microsoft’s channel DNA into Google’s engineering-first culture? That’s the billion-dollar question.
The AI factor
This move comes at the exact moment when every cloud provider is racing to dominate AI. Partners are crucial for deploying and scaling AI solutions across enterprises. Smith specifically mentioned helping customers “unlock their full potential and solve their most complex challenges globally”—that’s corporate speak for “we’re going after AI implementation at scale.”
Microsoft has been leveraging its partner network to push Azure AI and Copilot deployments. Now Google gets someone who understands exactly how that playbook works. The timing couldn’t be more strategic, or more painful for Microsoft. Basically, Google just hired the play-caller from their biggest rival right before the championship game.
What comes next
Watch for two things: First, how quickly other Microsoft channel executives might follow Smith to Google. Talent moves in waves, and when a leader of this caliber jumps ship, others often follow. Second, watch Microsoft’s response—they’ll likely be making some defensive moves to reassure their partner community.
The cloud wars just got more personal. This isn’t just about technology anymore—it’s about the people who know how to sell and implement that technology at enterprise scale. And Google just landed one of the best in the business.
