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In a surprise move, Windows head Steven Sinofsky has abruptly left Microsoft right after the launch of Windows 8 and the Surface RT. Sinofsky was in charge of bringing the products to market and did so successfully, so his immediate departure came as a shock to some. Not so within Microsoft, where sources tell us the executive was not well-liked and wasn't well-positioned to lead the collaborative efforts necessary for the company's future success. He will be replaced, in part, by Julie Larson-Green, who will take up "all future Windows product development."
8 updates and 912 comments below.
Dec 19 12:46p
It's been a little over a month since Windows and Windows Live president Steven Sinofsky abruptly left Microsoft due to apparent clashes with management, but now we know his next move. According to his Twitter account, Sinofsky will be teaching at the Harvard Business School this spring, something he did prior to joining the Windows team. A follow-up tweet indicated that he'll be teaching courses related to product development. It's not clear yet if this is a single-semester deal or whether...
Nov 15 6:08a
Former chief of Windows, Steven Sinofsky, departed Microsoft earlier this week in a shock announcement following the release of Windows 8 and Surface RT. While sources have claimed his departure was related to a clash of personalities, Sinofsky has started to share some insight into his role at Microsoft.
"No one ever approached me to manage them as part of Windows 7 or 8."
In a blog post by Hal Berenson, a former Microsoft distinguished engineer, Sinofsky has replied in the comments...
Nov 13 6:46p
Microsoft's Andy Lees, who was moved out of the top Windows Phone job less than a year ago, has been shifted to the head of corporate development and strategy at the software giant, a company spokesperson has confirmed. Lees, who has been working on "a time-critical opportunity focused on driving maximum impact in 2012 with Windows Phone and Windows 8" for the past 11 months, will now report directly to Microsoft CFO Peter Klein rather than Steve Ballmer.
The timing follows a swift departure...
6:01a
Steven Sinofsky is out at Microsoft. The Windows boss has left the building, and now Julie Larson-Green is in charge. She is now responsible for leading all Windows software and hardware engineering, and she will report to Steve Ballmer from here on out.
Nov 12 10:47p
Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows has posted Steven Sinofsky's full letter to Microsoft employees announcing his departure. Sinofsky says that, following the Windows 8 and Surface launch, he has "decided to leave the company to seek new opportunities that build on these experiences."
10:01p
The abrupt departure of Windows and Windows Live President Steven Sinofsky this evening has surprised many in the Microsoft community considering that he's hot off the launch of Windows 8 and Surface, two of Redmond's most important products in the last decade. There had been persistent rumblings that the man who oversaw the launch of Windows 8 was in line for a larger role in the company, perhaps even as the heir to CEO Steve Ballmer. However, multiple sources within Microsoft describe...
8:44p
We've just learned that Windows chief Steven Sinofsky has left Microsoft, less than a month after the Windows 8 and Microsoft Surface launch. Here's what CEO Steve Ballmer had to say about the executive departure:
Over the past few months we have delivered the foundation for a new era for Microsoft. From Office to Bing to Windows Phone and Windows Azure, to Xbox and of course Windows and Surface and everything in between, we’ve unleashed a huge wave of devices and services that people...
8:34p
Steven Sinofsky, the Microsoft executive in charge of Windows, has left the company. Julie Larson-Green is to assume control of Windows software and hardware engineering, and CFO Tami Reller will be in charge of the Windows business. The changes are effective immediately, and no reason was given for Sinofsky's departure. He had the following to say in a statement:
"It is impossible to count the blessings I have received over my years at Microsoft. I am humbled by the professionalism and...
Jan 03 1:40p
Former Windows chief Steven Sinofsky launches new 'Learn by Shipping' blog
Former Windows and Windows Live president Steven Sinofsky abruptly left Microsoft late last year shortly after the company shipped Windows 8. As the head of Windows, Sinofsky played a vital part in shipping Windows 7 and Windows 8 on time. He is now turning his attention to writing a blog about product development and management after announcing his plans to teach at Harvard Business School.
The new blog, entitled Learn by Shipping, will see Sinofsky return to his habit of documenting...
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