Stephen Sumner

Background

About Stephen Sumner

I lead Microsoft’s Cloud Adoption Framework, creating guidance that helps global organizations define and execute their cloud strategies. My role involves forming cross-functional teams across Microsoft to identify best practices, formalize them, and publish open-source solutions that support scalable digital transformation. I focus on strategy development at both the enterprise and technical levels, with an emphasis on AI-driven cloud adoption. My work has supported Fortune 500 companies, public sector organizations, and startups in accelerating innovation, managing risk, and achieving measurable business outcomes. I bring a systems-thinking approach to leadership, forming agile teams to solve complex challenges and deliver clear, actionable guidance. Whether aligning with executive stakeholders or translating technical architectures into strategic plans, I aim to make cloud and AI adoption more accessible, consistent, and effective. My current efforts include building a framework for designing, testing, and managing AI agents, working with a team of over 100 people and collaborating across Microsoft to ensure a unified approach. I was previously a solutions architect in the federal, defense sector. I designed AI and cloud solutions in Azure and AWS up to impact level 5 and 6 environments. I secured $250 million in awards.