Microsoft shuffles leadership team

AP/UNB, San Francisco: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is shuffling his top management team, announcing the departure of former Nokia boss Stephen Elop and three other top executives.
Elop had left Microsoft once before to run Nokia, then returned when Microsoft bought the Finnish company’s smartphone business for $7.5 billion last year. Analysts said his departure now is a sign that Microsoft is rethinking its approach to the phone business, where it has struggled to make a profit despite recent layoffs and other spending cuts.
Also leaving the company is Mark Penn, a former Democratic political strategist who oversaw some of Microsoft’s marketing efforts including the hard-hitting “Scroogled” advertising campaign that criticized products made by tech rival Google. While the campaign drew attention, industry experts said it did not appear to help Microsoft’s business.
In an email to employees on Wednesday, Nadella praised the departing executives and said the reorganization will help Microsoft focus on building “services and platforms for the mobile-first, cloud-first world.”
Microsoft said the “devices group” run by Elop will be folded into a new division run by Terry Myerson, an executive vice president who will also continue to oversee the company’s flagship Windows operating system.

Microsoft shuffles leadership team

AP/UNB, San Francisco: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is shuffling his top management team, announcing the departure of former Nokia boss Stephen Elop and three other top executives. Elop had left Microsoft once before to run Nokia, then returned when Microsoft bought the Finnish companys smartphone business for $7.5 billion last year. Analysts said his departure now is a sign that Microsoft is rethinking its approach to the phone business, where it has struggled to make a profit despite recent layoffs and other spending cuts. Also leaving the company is Mark Penn, a former Democratic political strategist who oversaw some of Microsofts marketing efforts including the hard-hitting Scroogled advertising campaign that criticized products made by tech rival Google. While the campaign drew attention, industry experts said it did not appear to help Microsofts business. In an email to employees on Wednesday, Nadella praised the departing executives and said the reorganization will help Microsoft focus on building services and platforms for the mobile-first, cloud-first world. Microsoft said the devices group run by Elop will be folded into a new division run by Terry Myerson, an executive vice president who will also continue to oversee the companys flagship Windows operating system.