The Office Power-Up Speakers

Speakers

Elizabeth Marcano

Creative Design and Innovation Lead, Proposal Center of Excellence (PCoE), Microsoft

Based in Sydney, Australia, Elizabeth joined Microsoft as a full-time employee in 2022. With extensive experience as a corporate designer, she plays a crucial role in supporting high-level technology deals by delivering bespoke, tailored graphics for proposals and sales presentations. She works closely with proposal professionals and internal Microsoft account teams, contributing to PCoE’s win rate. Elizabeth is also instrumental in designing dynamic and impactful internal marketing materials, such as communication collateral, brochures, videos, and animations.

Elizabeth is passionate about pushing the boundaries of visual design by exploring new tools, such as AI, and as a Microsoft Copilot Champ, is part of an internal community that receives the latest Copilot information, releases, and training to enhance productivity.

Gabrielle Holleran

Senior Graphic Designer and Adjunct Faculty Instructor, B.A.

Gabrielle Holleran, an accomplished graphic designer based in Pittsburgh, PA, has spent her career crafting impactful marketing materials across a variety of industries. With a diverse project portfolio, she has designed and managed brand marketing initiatives for clients in sectors including non-profit, healthcare, corporate consulting, and government contracting. Her career encompasses agency, corporate, and contract roles, demonstrating her versatility and ability to adapt to varied environments.

Gabrielle leverages tools like Microsoft Word and PowerPoint to help proposal teams showcase their work effectively. She has also been a dedicated user of Adobe Creative Suite for over 20 years, creating design that elevates brand identities and delivers compelling messages. Currently, she is pursuing a UX/UI Design certification with Cornell University, further expanding her expertise in user-centered design.

Additionally, Gabrielle is an educator, guiding higher education students in mastering the art of visual communication. She brings a collaborative and insightful approach to education and graphic design initiatives, empowering teams and individuals to acquire knowledge and present themselves to the world with creativity and professionalism.

Graeme Tucker

Desktop Publishing Specialist

Based in Tampa, Florida, Graeme Tucker is a seasoned desktop publisher with over 20 years of experience in creating professional collateral deliverables. Throughout her career, she has worked across various industries, with a significant tenure in the insurance brokerage sector, where she excelled in developing proposals, benefit guides, presentations, and templates. Since 2016, Graeme has been an essential part of RFP teams, supporting the desktop publishing of deliverables in deals from inception to completion.

Currently, Graeme is an integral part of the Proposal Center of Excellence (PCoE) at Microsoft. In this role, she not only oversees the end-to-end formatting of proposal deliverables but also shares her knowledge through live presentations, written training materials, and demo videos. Graeme is continually seeking innovative ways to enhance team processes, making them more efficient and user-friendly.

Oscar Martínez Valero

Business Intelligence Manager

Oscar Valero is a Business Intelligence Manager at PwC, bringing a results-driven, customer-centric approach to data analytics and business intelligence. With a strong background in financial analysis, process redesign, and people development, Oscar is passionate about leveraging Microsoft Power BI and other data-driven tools to drive smarter decision-making and optimize business performance.

Priscilla Alfaro

Creative Services Lead

Based in San José, Costa Rica, Priscilla specializes in blending strategy and creativity to deliver impactful solutions. Her career has spanned diverse industries, partnering with clients to develop visual strategies that align with their goals and drive results.

Focusing on designing for enterprise commercial and public sector customers after joining Microsoft’s Proposal Center of Excellence (PCoE) in 2020, her work has centered on crafting compelling visual narratives and strategies contributing to winning new business opportunities for Microsoft.

In 2022, Priscilla was appointed as the Creative Services Lead for Microsoft's PCoE, where she leads a global team of designers to transform visual strategies, streamline processes, and elevate the quality and impact of their work.

Trish Christmas

Desktop Publishing Specialist

Trish Christmas is based in the South Bay Area of California. She is a well-seasoned professional with more than 30 years of experience in managing the proposal process. 

Currently, as part of the Proposal Center of Excellence (PCoE) team at Microsoft, Trish plays a vital role as a Desktop Publisher. She takes the lead in the creating, styling, and formatting of the proposal deliverables. Trish also provides training for her teammates with written SOPs, as well as live or recorded sessions.

Yasmin Ismail, CP APMP

Business Program Manager, Microsoft

Yasmin Ismail, based in Wilsonville, Oregon is a seasoned proposal management professional with over two decades of experience in the field. With certifications from both APMP and Shipley, she has extensive experience in managing technology industry proposals on a global scale. Yasmin has tackled deals of all sizes, from $500k to a whopping $520M, across various sectors, always keeping customer centricity front and center.

Currently, Yasmin is a Business Program Manager at Microsoft, where she supports the Proposal Center of Excellence (PCoE). In this role, she contributes to PCoE's mission to enhance Microsoft's win rate and revenue while giving sellers time back.

She is always on the lookout for the latest and greatest tools to supercharge her work and processes. With Copilot in her toolkit, she's ready to elevate her game to new heights and can’t wait to share her knowledge and insights with others.