Former Microsoft Channel Chief Joins Board At AppSense

AppSense's profile has been growing steadily since Goldman Sachs' $70 million investment in the company last February. The company has emerged as a key vendor of user virtualization, a technology that manages an individual's data, personal files and applications as a distinct layer that's separate from the hardware, operating system and application layers.

User virtualization's benefits include better security and smoother Windows desktop migrations and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) projects.

Connors' tenure as Microsoft's channel chief was brief -- he spent six months in the role in 1999 before moving into the CFO role just after the release of Windows 2000 to manufacturing. He left Microsoft in 2005 to become a managing partner at Ignition Ventures, Bellevue, Wash., a role he continues to hold.

At Microsoft, Connors also held the roles of vice president of the Worldwide Enterprise Group; vice president and CIO; corporate controller; general manager of worldwide financial operations; director of business operations of Microsoft’s European headquarters in Paris; and director of business operations of the Worldwide Sales and Support Strategy Group.

Privately held AppSense said its bookings increased 54 percent worldwide in 2011 to more than $71 million. The company also boosted its employee ranks 60 percent last year, bringing in Harry Labana, former Citrix CTO of desktop and application virtualization, as vice president and CTO.

In addition, AppSense in November hired John Rego, former CFO of renewal energy firm Petra Solar, as CFO; in August, it hired Keith Turnbull, a 13-year Citrix veteran, as vice president of global development.

"There are a number of drivers that clearly indicate a transition from an IT-centric to a people-centric approach in computing. AppSense is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this shift as it redefines the relationship people have with the technologies they use, helping create a mobile, interconnected, interactive world," Connors said in a statement. "This company has a very bright future, and I look forward to being a part of the board."

Connors previously was a board member at Heroku, which Salesforce.com acquired in 2010, and XenSource, which Citrix acquired in 2007. He's also currently a board member at Nike, Splunk, Parse, FiREapps, Scout Analytics, Datasphere, Korrio and Motif Investing.