Mike Maples Sr. is an investor and rancher. Maples worked at Microsoft from 1988 until 1995 inside the Office of the President and as Executive Vice President of the Worldwide Products Group. Mike worked as director of software strategy at IBM before joining Microsoft. He is a director of NetIQ, Lexmark, and Sonic restaurants. Mike Maples raises exotic deer and antelope on his 1,500-acre Texas ranch.