Leading Platforms with Purpose: Director at Microsoft Azure Shalini Thyagaraja Shares Her Journey
“As my career grew, I saw how easy it was, especially for women, to achieve external success while becoming disconnected from themselves. The pressure to perform, lead, and deliver often came at the expense of well-being. My wellness work emerged not as a departure from tech, but as a response to it.” Shalini Thyagaraja is a Director at Microsoft Azure Commercial Marketplace Platforms and the founder of Mind Space, a holistic wellness platform rooted in sustainable leadership. With over two decades of experience spanning program management, business transformation, and leadership across Fortune 500 organizations, she operates at the intersection of global technology platforms and human-centered impact. In her interview with Women Who Win, Shalini reflects on integrating wellness into high-performance tech environments, what excites her most about the future of Azure, and how she is committed to advancing the next generation of women leaders shaping technology and innovation.
Tell us your story. You’re currently a Director at Microsoft focusing on Cloud & AI Marketplace Strategy, while also building a wellness-rooted venture. How did you come to pursue both paths, and what does “living with purpose” mean to you today?
I came to the United States at the age of 19 with two suitcases and a dream to achieve. Like many immigrants, I was driven by opportunity, responsibility, and the desire to build a meaningful life through hard work. Technology became the pathway that allowed me to do that, first by offering stability, and eventually by giving me the chance to lead large-scale, global work that creates real impact.
Over the last two decades, I’ve built a career in high-performance environments, leading complex transformations across Microsoft and other Fortune 500 organizations. Today, as a Director focused on Azure Commercial Marketplace customer and partner experience, I work at the intersection of strategy, execution, and ecosystem enablement.
At the same time, there was a quieter realization unfolding. As my career grew, I saw how easy it was, especially for women to achieve external success while becoming disconnected from themselves. The pressure to perform, lead, and deliver often came at the expense of well-being. My wellness work emerged not as a departure from tech, but as a response to it. It became a way to integrate presence, resilience, and self-connection into how we live and lead.
At this stage of my life and career, living with purpose means alignment. It means building a life where impact and inner well-being are not in competition. Purpose is no longer about proving, it’s about living intentionally, leading with clarity, and creating space for what truly matters.
2. You lead in both high-performance tech environments and deeply human-centered wellness spaces. How do these experiences shape your approach as a leader?
Leading in both spaces has taught me that sustainable performance is deeply human. In technology, we optimize for scale, speed, and results, and those matter. But without psychological safety, self-awareness, and trust, even the strongest teams eventually burn out.
Wellness work has sharpened my understanding of regulation, presence, and energy. It is about how people show up under pressure and how clarity emerges when we slow down just enough. That perspective shows up in how I lead teams: I’m outcome-driven and structured, but also intentional about creating environments where people feel supported, seen, and empowered.
At the same time, my background in tech brings discipline and execution into wellness spaces, helping people translate insight into sustainable action. Both worlds reinforce the same truth: when people are aligned internally, they perform better externally.
3. When you think about the future of Azure, what excites you most, and what will matter most for users?
What excites me most about Azure’s future is its role as a true enabler of innovation at global scale. Azure is evolving beyond infrastructure into a platform that brings together AI, data, security, and partner ecosystems in ways that help organizations move faster while operating responsibly.
For users, what will matter most is experience, simplicity, trust, and integration. Customers and partners want solutions that reduce friction, scale with them, and allow them to focus on outcomes rather than complexity. Responsible AI, transparency, and strong partner experiences will be foundational as technology becomes more embedded in everyday decision-making.
Azure’s strength lies in empowering builders, partners, and enterprises to create impact, without losing sight of responsibility and human trust.
4. Through your mentoring and work with girls-focused initiatives, what levers are most critical in advancing women in technology and innovation?
The most critical levers are early exposure, representation, and confidence-building. Many girls disengage from these subjects not because of lack of ability, but because they don’t see themselves reflected in the field or don’t feel a sense of belonging.
Access to mentors who share real stories, not just polished success, matters deeply. So does creating psychologically safe environments where curiosity is encouraged and failure is part of learning. Confidence gaps often appear long before skill gaps, and addressing that early can change entire trajectories.
It isn’t just about pipelines or programs, it’s about belief, belonging, and sustained support.
5. What is one area of wellness and work-life balance you hope to focus on this year?
This year, my focus is on intentional energy management. Rather than trying to do everything at once, I’m paying closer attention to seasons - when to push, when to pause, and when to recalibrate.
As a leader, mother, and entrepreneur, I’ve learned that presence is the most valuable resource we have. I’m prioritizing recovery, creating white space, and modeling boundaries, not just for myself, but for the teams and communities I lead. Wellness, for me, is no longer a personal practice alone; it’s a leadership responsibility.
Thank you Shalini for sharing your inspiring story with us. We are excited to have you in our global women’s network!
Bio: Shalini Thyagaraja is a senior technology leader at Microsoft, wellness coach, speaker, and founder of Mind Space, a holistic wellness platform that has supported 100+ individuals on their wellbeing, healing, and leadership journeys. With over 20 years of experience in program management, business transformation, and leadership across Fortune 500 organizations, she bridges the worlds of corporate excellence and sustainable wellbeing. She is a certified health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), a 200-hour certified yoga and meditation teacher, and is currently pursuing advanced yoga training, deepening her work at the intersection of leadership, nervous system regulation, and self-connection. A mother of two and a passionate advocate for women in technology, work-life integration, and resilient leadership, Shalini hosts the Let’s Talk Wellness with Shal podcast (YouTube, Apple, Spotify), serves on Women ERG boards, mentors women globally, and speaks at industry and community events. Her work and community impact have been recognized with honors including Women We Admire, Marquis Who’s Who, the Empowerment Award from POWER, and multiple local community leadership awards. Through her work, Shalini empowers women in tech to lead with clarity, resilience, and intention, without sacrificing their wellbeing.