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Microsoft Web Executive Leaves

Sagittarius   via AP on 15 February 2008 - 03:27 · 7 comments & 5702 views

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Microsoft Corp. announced the departure of several executives Thursday, among them Steve Berkowitz, senior vice president of Microsoft's online business group, a Silicon Valley veteran recruited to help fix its unprofitable Web business. Berkowitz will hand off his duties to three insiders: Satya Nadella, currently in charge of search and search advertising engineering; Bill Veghte, a Windows marketing executive; and Brian McAndrews, formerly the chief executive of online advertising group aQuantive, which Microsoft acquired last year. Berkowitz joined Microsoft in 2006 after turning around Oakland, Calif.-based Ask.com, which, with related sites, was acquired by InterActiveCorp for $2.3 billion during his tenure as chief executive; no reason was given for his departure, and he will stay through August to help with the transition.

Brought in to help turn around Microsoft's own Web business, Berkowitz was charged with expanding the audience on its disparate MSN and Windows Live sites - making them more attractive to advertisers - and forging new business relationships, such as the ad partnership announced last summer with social news site Digg.com. With Berkowitz's departure, all advertising efforts will be consolidated under McAndrews. MSN head Joanne Bradford will report to Nadella. Microsoft spokesman Lou Gellos said today's announcement is unrelated to the Yahoo negotiations.

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(3 replies) #1 Xenon on 15 Feb 2008 - 04:15
1 more should go. Steve Balmer. Microsoft needs to get its act together and decide what type of company they are gonna be. Balmer is the worst CEO of a major company in the US. The stock never goes anywhere and vista (which I actually like) is a flop.
#1.1 michael.dobrofsky on 15 Feb 2008 - 05:25
Yeah, but that speech he gave was so inspiring.....

DevelopersDevelopersDevelopersDevelopersDevelopersDevelopersDevelopersDevelopersDevelopers ... and so on.
#1.2 X'tyfe on 15 Feb 2008 - 05:58
(Xenon said @ #1)
1 more should go. Steve Balmer. Microsoft needs to get its act together and decide what type of company they are gonna be. Balmer is the worst CEO of a major company in the US. The stock never goes anywhere and vista (which I actually like) is a flop.


through the sweaty ape a banana
#1.3 GrimReeper on 15 Feb 2008 - 12:19
(Xenon said @ #1)
1 more should go. Steve Balmer. Balmer is the worst CEO of a major company in the US.

+1
Exactly, Balmer is doing you more damage than any other person can help and repair your tarnished image.
(1 reply) #2 ambiance on 15 Feb 2008 - 07:33
#2.1 Mike Frett on 15 Feb 2008 - 16:47
LOL. That's the funniest thing I've seen in awhile.
#3 lbmouse on 15 Feb 2008 - 19:16
Would the last person to leave Redmond please remember to turn off Ballmer?

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