• Seattle Times, Tuesday, August 14, 2007 11 AM

After the announcement that the $6 billion aQuantive merger had been approved, Microsoft announced a huge shakeup to its Internet advertising division, which will now be headed by former aQuantive CEO Brian McAndrews, who becomes the official head of Advertiser and Publisher Solutions. Alongside McAndrews, is aQuantive co-founder Mike Galgon, who assists him as chief advertising strategist. Satya Nadella, who in March was named head of Microsoft's Search and Ad Platform Group, will continue to run the technology behind adCenter, but will also be in charge of the company's newly acquired ad exchange, ADECN. Steve Berkowitz's Online Services Group will continue to focus on building audiences for MSN's services, and Yusuf Mehdi will now head strategic partnerships for Platforms and Services, which is run by Kevin Johnson.

The new team is charged with the task of turning Microsoft into "an advertising company" as company CEO Steve Ballmer said last month. McAndrews, aQuantive CEO since January 2000, will spearhead that effort. His Advertiser and Publisher Solutions group will house his former company's 2,600 employees with an additional 400 or so from Microsoft. It's responsible for building out and marketing all Microsoft ad platforms, including Atlas, AvenueA/Razorfish, DRIVEpm, adCenter, ADECN and in-game advertiser Massive.

"So we have work to do," McAndrews said. "But I think we now have both the people assets -- combining what Microsoft brings to the party and what aQuantive does -- and the technology assets to really be a formidable force."

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