Report: Microsoft Dynamics 365 general manager Paul White to leave the company

Long time Dynamics SMB general manager Paul White is leaving Microsoft, sources say. The news has reportedly been communicated internally.

White has set the direction for Dynamics solutions for several years. He joined Microsoft in the UK subsidiary in 2005 and transitioned to a corporate role in 2010, first overseeing Dynamics NAV and later taking on responsibility for SMB solutions worldwide, including GP, SL, and the launch of Dynamics 365 for Financials. He was also responsible for CRM in the SMB market.

We've reached out to Microsoft for confirmation but have not yet received a response.

White has been at the center of key changes to Microsoft's SMB ERP strategy over the last few years, including the push to embrace cloud technology and the rollout of Dynamics 365 for Financials. He has been arguing in favor of the changing role of VARs and systems integrators for years. "We don't consider the economics for small local regional VARs will survive for much longer, you have to have scale," he said in 2012, noting that he envisioned a new type of channel partner emerging that works with the economics of the cloud and the changing demands of business customers.

Cloud deployment of Dynamics SMB ERP solutions like NAV and GP became a focal point in 2013 as Microsoft encouraged partners to support Azure-based deployments.

"We're trying to do something different, create a competitive edge in the way we license software," White told Microsoft partners at ...