Tech giant fills inaugural HR role

The cloud computing company poached a Microsoft exec to become its first ever chief equality officer.

A leading cloud computing company has created a storm in the HR world after poaching a top Microsoft exec to become its inaugural chief equality officer.

Washington-based Tony Prophet joins Salesforce following a two-year stint at Microsoft, where he was most recently employed as the VP of education marketing – a role which included overseeing the company’s efforts to reach more students.

While in this position, Prophet launched a number of social initiatives including Blacks at Microsoft and BlackLight – an organization for empowering black marketers.

“Tony will be an incredible addition to our leadership team as our first chief equality officer,” said Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. “His experience as a leader in technology companies and his deep commitment to social issues make him the perfect fit for this key role.”

Prophet, who also enjoyed an eight-year stretch at HP – will be responsible for a number of company initiatives including diversity, equal pay, social activism, and inclusion.

Prophet and Benioff – who have been friends for many years – both share an ardent interest in philanthropy with the former being a supporter of the new Benioff Children’s Hospital in San Francisco.

Prophet also helps with non-profits in the area, particularly those working on child healthcare, educational opportunities for low-income teens and HIV-positive women.

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