Sir Richard Branson will Headline WPC 2011 as Guest Speaker, Wednesday, July 13

The 2011 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference is honored to announce that Sir Richard Branson, the founder and president of Virgin Group, will address an estimated 15,000 attendees at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference, July 13, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

One of the world's most recognized and respected brands, Virgin has expanded into air and rail travel, hospitality and leisure, telecommunications, health and wellness, and clean energy through more than 300 companies in 30 countries. A leader in product innovation and customer service, he was knighted in 1998 for his “services to entrepreneurship.”

Sir Richard Branson has been involved in a number of world record-breaking attempts since 1985. In 1986 his boat, "Virgin Atlantic Challenger II," crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the fastest ever recorded time. This was followed a year later by a hot air balloon crossing of the same ocean in "Virgin Atlantic Flyer." In 2004, Sir Richard launched Virgin Unite to tackle tough challenges facing the world. Sir Richard pledged 100 percent of profits of Virgin transportation companies to clean tech investments, and this year he launched the Carbon War Room to mobilize capital, innovation, expertise and entrepreneurs to advance climate change efforts.

Sir Richard is the author of several books including "Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way,"  "Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur," and "Reach for the Skies: Ballooning, Birdmen, and Blasting into Space."