Microsoft Loses Two Top Executives

Two of Microsoft’s top executives, Tony Bates (pictured) and Tami Reller, are leaving the company in the wake of Satya Nadella’s takeover as chief executive.

Tony Bates, the former Skype chief executive and currently head of Microsoft’s business development, is to leave the company immediately, while Reller, co-head of Microsoft’s Windows unit, will stay on board during a transition period, according to a Sunday report from industry journal Re/code.

Musical chairs

Microsoft employees were informed of the departures on Friday and the company plans to make the moves public on Tuesday, according to the report, which cites unnamed sources. Both Bates and Reller report directly to the chief executive. Microsoft declined to comment on the report.

Bates, who has held high-level posts at other large IT companies including Cisco Systems, and who joined Microsoft when it acquired Skype in 2011, was one of Microsoft’s internal candidates for chief executive alongside Nadella. Nadella was appointed chief executive on 4 February, replacing Steve Ballmer, who announced his coming retirement in August of last year.

Eric Rudder, head of advanced strategy, will temporarily take over Bates’ duties, while marketing executive Chris Capossela will replace Reller, according to the report. Capossela is also to take over Mark Penn’s duties as head of advertising, leaving Penn as head of strategy, focusing on new product areas and strategic investments, according to the report. Penn is reportedly to remain on Microsoft’s senior management team.

Reller joined Microsoft in 2001 when it acquired Great Plains Software, and has held posts including chief marketing officer and chief financial officer for the Windows unit.

Larson-Green shift

Julie Larson-Green, another of Microsoft’s internal candidates for chief executive, disclosed last week that she is to leave her current post as head of the devices and studios unit, which will be taken over by current Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop. Elop is to join Microsoft with the closure of the company’s Nokia acquisition, and will oversee Xbox, Surface, game development and mobile devices.

Larson-Green, best known as the designer of Windows 7, is to take over as chief experience officer (shortened to CXO) for Microsoft’s Applications and Services group, leading the ‘My Life & Work team’, which manages the look and feel of products like Bing, Office and Skype.

Larson-Green’s move was the first significant executive change at Microsoft under Nadella. Stephen Elop had been considered by some industry observers as a possible candidate for the Microsoft chief executive role.

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