SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – John Fikany, the enterprise executive leader for Microsoft’s Heartland Area headquartered in Southfield, will be the second recipient of the Global Citizen Award to be presented by Lawrence Technological University (LTU) on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the start of the new academic year.
The award presentation will be made at LTU’s annual convocation ceremony for new students and their families at 5 p.m. in the Ridler Field House on LTU’s campus in Southfield. It will also mark the conclusion of the annual President’s Global Village Project for LTU students.
Lawrence Tech President Virinder Moudgil established the Global Citizen Award to recognize individuals who have shown great character and leadership in addressing global issues and promoting international and social understanding. This award is given annually to a person who demonstrates the passion and energy to make a positive impact on humanity through collaborative enterprise and spirit.
Fikany leads a diverse team of sales, technical, marketing and services professionals supporting all of Microsoft’s commercial sector enterprise industry accounts in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. In addition, he is the executive sponsor for multiple global customers and Microsoft national strategic initiatives.
With over 28 years of technology and industry leadership, Fikany has served in multiple assignments in his 11 years at Microsoft, including vice president of Microsoft’s Central Region Enterprise Business covering 18 states. Earlier he was responsible for the U.S. Commercial Industry practice and was the vice president responsible for building out Microsoft’s U.S. Manufacturing Industry Sector. He began his career at Microsoft developing the U.S. Automotive and Industrial Equipment business.
Prior to his career at Microsoft, Fikany spent 10 years in the Unisys marketplace and eight years at Oracle Corporation.
Fikany is a native Detroiter who is dedicated to his hometown and actively engaged in many community organizations, including the Detroit Economic Club, Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, Focus: HOPE, Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan, and the Parade Company. He is a member of Governor Snyder’s Cabinet for the Education Achievement Authority in turning around the Detroit public school system.
He is a graduate of Central Michigan University, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate in science and technology in 2014.
Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, is a private university founded in 1932 that offers more than 100 programs through the doctoral level in Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and Management. The Brookings Institution ranks Lawrence Tech fifth nationwide for boosting graduates’ earning power, PayScale lists it among the nation’s top 100 universities for graduates’ salaries, and U.S. News and World Report places it in the top tier of best Midwestern universities. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 102-acre campus in Southfield, Michigan, include over 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.
Eric Pope
Managing Editor, University News Bureau
Lawrence Technological University
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