Microsoft exec Andy Lees goes on leave; will return with new position

Microsoft's vice president of corporate strategy and development Andy Lees will be taking a brief leave of absence from the company but will return to Microsoft in a new role this summer.

Microsoft executive Andy Lees is apparently a man who can't quite find what he should do in Redmond. In December 2012, he left as head of the Windows Phone division to work on what Microsoft called a "a time-critical opportunity" that involved Windows Phone and Windows 8.

As part of that job, Lees helped to develop the Barnes and Noble Windows 8 app. In November, he got yet another gig at Microsoft, this time as its head of corporate development and strategy.

Now it looks like that job was not for Lees. After just seven months, he has decided to depart that position in Microsoft for something else. AllThingsD.com reports that Lees will take a break to be with his family in the UK but will return to Microsoft in his new but unnamed role this summer.

It's unknown if this new move by Lees is related to previous rumors that Microsoft could be getting ready to launch a major restructuring. The rumors claim that the company could cut down its formal divisions from eight to just four. There's no word if these moves might also mean Microsoft could lay off workers once the changes are approved.

Source: AllThingsD.com | Image via Microsoft