Microsoft announced a number of leadership changes today, with Terry Myerson serving as the new head of the Windows and Devices Group (WDG), while four senior executives – including Stephen Elop and Mark Penn – will be leaving.
The news came in an email from CEO Satya Nadella to Microsoft staff, which Microsoft also shared with the public.
Formerly the vice president of Microsoft’s operating systems and engineering groups, Myerson will now be leading the newly developed Windows and Devices Group (WDG), charged with building all of Microsoft’s devices, including Surface, HoloLens, Lumia, Surface Hub, Band and Xbox.
Myerson’s new team will be made of Microsoft’s operating systems group and engineering group, with the addition of Microsoft’s Devices Group – a team formerly led by Stephen Elop.
According to a report on TechCruch, Myerson’s new role puts him in a position to be the next Microsoft CEO.
Stephen Elop, Mark Penn, Kirill Tatarinov, and Eric Rudder are all resigning.
Elop served as the president of Microsoft between 2008 and 2010, before taking the role of Nokia CEO in September of 2010. He returned to Microsoft last April as the executive vice president of its Devices Group, a group that is now led by Myerson.
“I regret the loss of leadership that this represents and look forward to seeing where his next destination will be,” writes Nadella of Elop’s leaving.
Mark Penn, the force behind Microsoft’s failed “Scroogled” campaign, has served in a number of different executive leadership roles since joining the company in 2012. According to Nadella’s email, he will be starting a private equity fund, “…among other things.”
Kirill Tatarinov and Eric Rudder will both be leaving as their teams are being realigned to different groups with department heads already in place. The Dynamics development team, formerly led by Tatarinov, will be moved to Microsoft’s Cloud and Enterprise (C+E) group, under the leadership of Scott Guthrie.
With more than 25 years at Microsoft, Rudder most recently served as the company’s executive vice president of advanced technology and education. With these new changes, Microsoft’s education efforts are now being moved under Qi Lu’s leadership as part of Microsoft’s Applications and Services Group (ASG) – rendering Rudder’s role no longer necessary.
Nadella’s email included the following list of Microsoft’s current executive team:
Chris Capossela, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
Kurt DelBene, Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Planning
Scott Guthrie, Executive Vice President, Cloud and Enterprise
Amy Hood, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Kathleen Hogan, Executive Vice President, Human Resources
Peggy Johnson, Executive Vice President, Business Development
Qi Lu, Executive Vice President, Applications and Services Group
Terry Myerson, Executive Vice President, Windows and Devices Group
Harry Shum, Executive Vice President, Technology and Research
Brad Smith, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Legal and Corporate Affairs
Kevin Turner, Chief Operating Officer
Jill Tracie, Chief of Staff
The Microsoft CEO ended his email reasserting his confidence around the new changes: “I’m certain that matching our structure to our strategy will best position us to build products and services our customers love and ultimately drive new growth.”
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