Two Top Microsoft Execs Exit, Former Clinton Aide Appointed of Chief Strategy Under Nadella
Microsoft's newly appointed CEO may have received near-universal praise, but that doesn't mean that things are completely rosy internally. As these events always tend to do, there are at least a few folks who aren't exactly thrilled with the way the decision went down. Due to that, a few key executives are heading for the exits at Microsoft, with Tony Bates and Tami Reller leaving the firm in short order.
A similar exit happened at Yahoo once Marissa Mayer was installed as CEO. Word on the street has it that Mr. Bates was a contender for the Microsoft CEO title, and once he was skipped over, he figured it best to just head elsewhere. If you'll recall, Bates joined Microsoft via its acquisition of Skype, while Reller was the outfit's Executive Vice President for Marketing.
As the two exit, Mark Penn (shown here) is stepping up as Microsoft's chief strategy officer. This is the move that's actually being most heavily scrutinized, as Penn is a former aide to the Clinton family and has a deep background in politics. If there's one thing Microsoft doesn't need more of, it's politics. He'll be advising newly-minted CEO Nadella, but will be giving up oversight of Microsoft's advertising budget to Chris Capossela.
We have all ideas that this won't be the last we hear of moving and shaking going on within Microsoft now that Baller is out and Nadella is in.
A similar exit happened at Yahoo once Marissa Mayer was installed as CEO. Word on the street has it that Mr. Bates was a contender for the Microsoft CEO title, and once he was skipped over, he figured it best to just head elsewhere. If you'll recall, Bates joined Microsoft via its acquisition of Skype, while Reller was the outfit's Executive Vice President for Marketing.
As the two exit, Mark Penn (shown here) is stepping up as Microsoft's chief strategy officer. This is the move that's actually being most heavily scrutinized, as Penn is a former aide to the Clinton family and has a deep background in politics. If there's one thing Microsoft doesn't need more of, it's politics. He'll be advising newly-minted CEO Nadella, but will be giving up oversight of Microsoft's advertising budget to Chris Capossela.
We have all ideas that this won't be the last we hear of moving and shaking going on within Microsoft now that Baller is out and Nadella is in.
