Joachim Kempin, a German-born American businessman and former senior vice president of Microsoft, died on February 17, 2026.
He ran Microsoft’s division selling operating software to PC manufacturers for 15 years and later wrote Resolve and Fortitude: Microsoft’s “Secret Power Broker” Breaks His Silence. Before joining Microsoft, he worked at Digital Equipment Corporation in Munich and Bedford, Massachusetts, after an earlier role at National Semiconductors and a stint with Apple in Paris as European marketing manager.
Joachim Kempin (January 9, 1942 – February 5, 2026) was a German-born American businessman who was Senior Vice President of Microsoft Corporation. He ran Microsoft’s division selling operating software to PC manufacturers for 15 years. Kempin was also the author of Resolve and Fortitude: Microsoft’s “Secret Power Broker” Breaks His Silence.