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Microsoft Management Gets Major Reshuffle

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Following a few weeks' worth of rumours Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announces "a far-reaching realignment"-- a massive management reshuffle effort creating a so-called "One Microsoft."

Steve Ballmer"Our strategy will focus on creating a family of devices and services for individuals and businesses that empower people around the globe at home, at work and on the go, for the activities they value most," Ballmer writes in an internal memo.

"As the times change, so must our company," Ballmer continues.

The reshuffle divides the company by function-- Engineering, Marketing, Business Development and Evangelism, Advanced Strategy and Research, Finance, HR, Legal, and COO. It is the first significant Microsoft reorganisation since 2008, when Ballmer split the platforms and services division in 3, namely Windows, online services and server and tools.

As for the new reorganisation, former Windows Phone group leader Terry Myerson leads a new OS engineering group spanning console, mobile and PC, as well as core cloud services for the operating system.

Julie Larson-Green (former Steven Sinofsky replacement at the Windows division) takes over a new devices and studios group taking care of all Microsoft hardware development and supply chain, as well all internal games, music, video and other entertainment development.

Qi Lu leads the applications and services engineering group working on broad applications and services core technology in productivity, communication, search and other information categories.

Microsoft HQIn enterprise, Satya Nadella leads back-end technology (datacentre, database, enterprise IT technology and development tools) development, together with datacentre development, construction and operation within the cloud and enterprise engineering group. Kirill Tatarinov retains his position as Dynamics leader, while Eric Rudder leads the advanced strategy and research group.

Former Windows CFO Tami Reller is marketing group lead, Mark Penn (he behind the Microsoft anti-Google campaign) takes "a broad view" of market strategy and COO Kevin Turner continues taking care of worldwide sales, field marketing, services support and stores.

Tony Bates (former Skype division boss) will lead business development and evangelism group with focus on key partnerships (OEMs, silicon vendors, key developers, Yahoo, Nokia), evangelism efforts and developer outreach.

Amy Hood leads the finance group (reporting to Kevin Turner), general counsel Brad Smith runs the legal group and Lisa Brummel retains HR responsibilities.

In further changes, 20+ year Microsoft veteran and Office division president Kurt DelBene retires, Craig Mundie steps down from the SLT to work on a "special project" (before he exits the company once 2014 ends) and Microsoft Research founder Rick Rashid moves to the OS group.

Ballmer hopes such radical change will bring about a "new" Microsoft-- one where all divisions work as one instead of being locked in internal competition. The memo repeatedly rallies the troops, and is replete with statements such as "one strategy, united together, with great communication, decisiveness and positive energy is the only way to fly."

For a conglomerate as massive as Microsoft (90000+ employees!) such change will no doubt be hard to get used to. Will they mange to bring about "vision," "potential" and "coherence" to the company's future?

Go One Microsoft: Company Realigns