In a major shake-up, Microsoft (MSFT) this morning disclosed a major management shake-up at its Entertainment and Devices Division. Robbie Bach, the president of the division since it was created five years ago, is stepping down, as is J. Allard, a senior VP who has been chief technology officer and chief experience officer for the group.
Bach will not be replaced; instead, CEO Steve Ballmer will take more direct oversight of the unit, which sells the Xbox 360 game business, Zune music players and the Windows Phone 7 operating system software. The current heads of the Xbox and Windows Mobile businesses will report to Ballmer effective in July.
Allard will remain an adviser to the company. According to TechFlash, he does not intend to work at any rival companies; he also says that his departure is not tied to the cancellation of the Courier dual-screen tablet project that he had been leading.
Ballmer announced the moves in an e-mail to employees.
Microsoft says that Bach is retiring; Bach told TechFlash that he was not encouraged to leave. He will stay at the company through the fall to ensure a smooth transition.
MSFT is down 40 cents, or 1.5%, to $25.87.
No comments:
Post a Comment