Top Microsoft Executives Depart, Others Promoted

  • February 18, 2008
Microsoft Corp. announced the departure of several executives late last week, which the company said are unrelated to negotiations to acquire Yahoo.

Steve Berkowitz, senior vice president of Microsoft's online business group, is leaving the company, but will stay through August to help with the transition. His duties will be distributed among three employees: Satya Nadella, currently in charge of search and search advertising engineering; Bill Veghte, a Windows marketing executive; and Brian McAndrews, formerly the chief executive of online advertising group aQuantive, which Microsoft acquired last year. Nadella and Veghte were promoted to senior vice president.

The top executive in Microsoft's mobile phone software business, Pieter Knook, also is leaving Microsoft. He will lead a new division of cellular operator Vodafone Group PLC. Andy Lees, formerly of Microsoft's server and tools division, was promoted to replace Knook.

All advertising efforts will be consolidated under McAndrews. MSN head Joanne Bradford will report to Nadella. Veghte will gain responsibility for strategy, sales and marketing for Windows, Windows Live, MSN and Search.

Microsoft said Michael Sievert, who worked for Veghte and was responsible for marketing Windows Vista, is leaving to pursue new endeavors. Brad Brooks was promoted to replace him.

Microsoft promoted several other executives, among them Office leaders Chris Capossela, Kurt DelBene and Antoine Leblond. The three currently report to Jeff Raikes, the top executive in its business software division. Microsoft recently said Raikes plans to retire in September, and will be replaced by an outsider, Stephen Elop, who most recently worked at Juniper Networks Inc.

--Tanya Irwin

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