Hayley Horan has been appointed as SaaS partner lead, with the goal of driving more growth for the Software as a Service sector in New Zealand.

In her new role at Microsoft, Horan will be responsible for overseeing the SaaS partner channel, working alongside partners to connect them with capital and specialist expertise, and helping to build a technology skills pipeline for the industry.

"There is just so much innovation here in Aotearoa and I'm passionate about growing that even further. I've seen from the outside the value that Microsoft adds for its partners in the SaaS sector, and I'm incredibly excited to be joining the team that makes it all happen," Horan says.

"SaaS is a huge area of opportunity for New Zealand's tech sector, as seen through the global success of companies like Cin7, FlexiTime and LawVu. With the arrival of Microsoft's New Zealand datacenter region soon, it will be a catalyst to unlock even more opportunities for our partners and springboard them to success in international markets, and I feel privileged to be helping achieve that," she adds.

"We're thrilled to have Hayley on board, who shares that passion and brings with her deep expertise in helping New Zealand startups become global successes. We can't wait to see what she can do for the SaaS sector here," Microsoft New Zealand managing director Vanessa Sorenson says.