Satya Nadella Makes First Management Shakeups at Microsoft

The 2014 Build event kickstarts tomorrow (follow these links to watch it live) and we’re expecting to see some important announcements there. To prepare for a new Microsoft, Satya Nadella has made some important changes to the top management structure over at Microsoft.

In his first ever press briefing, the new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has announced the much awaited Microsoft Office suite for the world’s most popular tablet – the iPad. Now, at the upcoming Build event, we’re expected to see the Windows 8.1 Spring Update and also the unveiling of Windows Phone 8.1. Apparently, to make sure that Microsoft is ready for the new things that Satya and his team have in store, some important changes have been announced in the top management of the company through a public email.

Read Also: Users Start Asking for a Windows 8 Wattpad App

Nadella remains true to his focus on mobile and cloud, as the new namings also reflect that. Natya Nadella’s first management shakeups include the following changes, along with excerpts from his email:

• Scott Guthrie has been promoted to head of the cloud and enterprise group, a $20 billion division where Nadella himself was the leader before replacing Steve Ballmer as CEO

Scott has been a very public and passionate evangelist for many of our most important developer and infrastructure businesses. Since joining Microsoft in 1997, he has made critical contributions to .NET and other pivotal technologies that help power the Microsoft ecosystem today, and most recently has been the driver behind the unprecedented growth of Microsoft Azure. As a leader, Scott has shown incredible energy and insight into how we create technology that others can build on, and which can be built on what others have created.

• Former Nokia boss Stephen Elop will officialy join Microsoft as executive vice president of the devices group after Microsoft closes its $7.2 billion acquisition of Nokia. Elop will also play an important role in developing the Xbox platforms

I look forward to working with Stephen as a key member of the senior leadership team and welcoming the Nokia Devices and Services employees to the Microsoft family. The mobile capabilities, hardware design expertise, and world-class manufacturing and supply chain operations they bring will help us drive innovations in devices to delight our customers. Stephen will partner closely with Phil and Terry on Xbox and will bring together many of the top leaders from his existing Nokia Devices and Services organization as well as the current leaders of the Devices and Studios team.

• Phil Spencer will now lead the Xbox operation, combining the Xbox and Xbox Live development teams with the Microsoft Studios team and reporting to operating systems group chief Terry Myerson.

In this new job, Phil will lead the Xbox, Xbox Live, Xbox Music and Xbox Video teams, and Microsoft Studios. Combining all our software, gaming and content assets across the Xbox team under a single leader and aligning with the OSG team will help ensure we continue to do great work across the Xbox business, and bring more of the magic of Xbox to all form factors, including tablets, PCs and phones. Phil will continue his close partnership with Yusuf Mehdi, who leads business strategy and marketing for Xbox, George Peckham, who heads up third-party partnerships and Mike Angiulo, who will continue leading Xbox hardware. Over the years, Phil’s team at Microsoft Studios has helped build a community of more than 80 million Xbox owners and 48 million Xbox Live members through blockbuster game franchises such as “Halo,” “Gears of War,” “Kinect Sports,” “Fable,” “Forza Motorsport” and many others

It’s quite a shakeup, as we can see that important divisions have been refreshed with new namings. This is part of Nadella’s vision of a “unique Microsoft”, so let’s see if the new boss manages to make Microsoft cool again and not a place where you need to take antidepressants.

Read Also: How to Keep Using Windows XP after 2014