Buchi Rapu-Hodge, has assumed a new leadership role at Microsoft as Senior Director Finance, where she is leading the company’s Infrastructure and Data Center Accounting & Controllership organisation.
In the role, Rapu-Hodge is responsible for the accounting, controllership and US GAAP reporting functions supporting Microsoft’s infrastructure investments and data centre operations. She is also driving AI-enabled process transformation initiatives designed to strengthen financial capabilities and support the rapid growth of the business.
Rapu-Hodge brings extensive finance and accounting leadership experience to the position, having built a career spanning technology, financial services, telecommunications and consumer businesses.
Prior to taking up her current role, she served as Finance Director, Fixed Assets and Lease Accounting at Microsoft, where she led the company’s Fixed Assets and Lease Accounting teams. She previously held senior finance positions across Microsoft’s Worldwide Commercial Business Finance and Corporate Accounting organisations.
Her Microsoft career has included responsibility for strategy, investments, business intelligence, consolidated close governance, financial reporting, internal controls, foreign currency accounting, financial master data and compliance with US GAAP and SEC reporting requirements.
Before joining Microsoft, Rapu-Hodge spent several years at FOCUS Brands, progressing through corporate accounting leadership roles, including Director of Corporate Accounting and Senior Manager of Corporate Accounting. Her responsibilities included financial statement consolidation, stock-based compensation, debt refinancing, US GAAP compliance, accounting integration and financial controls.
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Earlier in her career, she held accounting and finance positions at Alorica, where she managed month-end and year-end close processes, financial reporting, fixed assets, lease accounting, cash management, intercompany accounting and audit requirements. She also played roles in an accounting system conversion, a company recapitalisation and acquisition.
Rapu-Hodge began her professional journey in financial analysis and accounting and also gained experience as a Graduate Research Assistant at Georgia State University, where she worked on project and grant budgets, financial modelling, cost analysis and budget presentations.
Her new mandate at Microsoft places her at the intersection of finance, technology, infrastructure and data-centre expansion, with a particular focus on using technology and AI to improve financial processes, strengthen controls and build scalable accounting capabilities.