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Ben Gilbert
Senior corporate counsel at Microsoft
Ben Gilbert is a seasoned legal professional currently serving as the Senior Corporate Counsel for Asia Strategic Projects at Microsoft, based in Singapore. His role involves leading legal efforts related to artificial intelligence (AI) commercial initiatives and strategic projects across the Asia region. He focuses on addressing legal and policy risks associated with emerging AI deployment use cases and supports various strategic partnerships and projects within Microsoft.13
Professional Background
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Current Position: Senior Corporate Counsel: Asia AI Commercial Lead and Strategic Projects at Microsoft (July 2023 - Present). In this capacity, Gilbert collaborates with customers and regulators to navigate legal challenges in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.1
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Previous Role: Principal Corporate Counsel: Asia Strategic Projects (September 2021 - September 2022). In this role, he was responsible for supporting complex deals and responding to critical infrastructure and cybersecurity reforms in the Asia region.1
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Earlier Experience: Gilbert also held the position of Principal Corporate Counsel for Microsoft in Australia from June 2016 to September 2021, where he advised on various legal matters related to cloud products and consulting services.12
Education
Ben Gilbert holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with Honors from the University of Waikato, New Zealand, which has equipped him with a solid foundation in legal principles applicable to corporate law and technology.1
Skills and Expertise
Gilbert's expertise lies in commercial law, particularly in the technology sector, where he has been involved in high-stakes negotiations and compliance matters. His experience spans multiple regions, including Australia and Asia, allowing him to navigate diverse legal frameworks and business environments effectively.23
Overall, Ben Gilbert plays a crucial role in shaping Microsoft's legal strategies in Asia, particularly in the context of AI and strategic partnerships.
Highlights
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A guy starts 3 candy companies in the 1910s. All of them fail.
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The 4th finally succeeds by making Milky Way (and becomes Mars Inc).
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His son gets in a fight with him and leaves the family business.
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The son allies instead with the president of Hershey (!) to start a new candy company together.
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New company creates M&Ms. Becomes the best-selling candy ever.
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Son is still lusting after Dad's original company. And his new business generates so much cash that that he can use it to go buy up all the shares of his Dad's company -- essentially a hostile takeover. Son ends up owning it entirely, personally.
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Today, the combined company makes everything from M&Ms to Snickers to Ben's Rice and a huge amount of dog and cat food. It's owned entirely by the son's descendants and does $50 billion (!) a year in revenue.
If you thought you had family drama... 🙃
Enjoy our last @AcquiredFM episode of the year before the holidays! Ho ho ho. 🎅🏻🍫
