This article was originally written by Avanade alum Bernadette Harkin.

Two weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to attend Microsoft Envision in Orlando. Envision and Ignite were happening at the same time - both attracted 30,000 attendees.

It's been a long time since I have attended this type of conference and I really got a great view on the momentous changes that are happening in our industry, not just from a technology point of view, but also the client impact and subsequent responsibility that comes with digital innovation that can now be achieved.

There was a huge focus on Data Privacy and Security and on AI, both supported by the opportunity of migrating to and leveraging Cloud platforms.

I would encourage you review the presentations from Envision and Ignite to hear first-hand the great presentations from the sessions. My top picks were difficult to decide but I narrowed it down to these two sessions:

• Satya Nadella and Walter Isaacson fireside chat on the quest to rediscover the soul of Microsoft and the coming wave of transformative technology - great conversation of acting responsibly in an AI world
• Brad Smith, Microsoft CLO, on Securing the Digital Estate - I really enjoyed the content and the storyline and flow of this presentation 

Microsoft culture permeated the conference in many ways and I am now making my way through “Hit Refresh” by Satya Nadella, a great read that describes his leadership as the third CEO of Microsoft and the cultural change that he knew was crucial to driving the organization forward. 

And finally, always on the lookout for a little wisdom, I picked up on the chat with Beth Comstock and one of her key takeaways that 'we need to learn to live in the in-between.' A poignant point of our industry and the change that often starts without a formalized plan.