Longtime Microsoft (MSFT) executive Antoine Leblond, a 25-year company veteran and head of Windows Services, said he will exit after March 31, to “go out and see what the non-Microsoft world has to offer,” as he told colleagues in an email.
Leblond spent 20 years in Microsoft’s Office unit, mostly working with ex-Windows boss and former star Steven Sinofsky, who was unceremoniously shown the door in November 2012, less than a month after shepherding the company’s momentous Windows 8 launch. Leblond’s departure comes only two days before the start of Microsoft’s Build 2014 conference, where he previously has presented to attending developers.
It also follows the earlier exits of two other veteran execs, Jon DeVaan and Windows testing head Grant George, both of whose fortunes waned when the company shuffled management last year. All three executives noticeably were not included on the leadership list resulting from the One Microsoft reorganization last year, which left Terry Myerson in charge of Windows.
“Every single day I have had here has been amazing in its own way, and I will never look back on all of these years with anything but fondness, pride in what we’ve accomplished together, and a real appreciation for having been lucky enough to be part of so many awesome things,” Leblond said, as reported by Re/code. “I am sad to leave all of you, but also incredibly excited for what comes next.”
Leblond’s leaving closely follows word of the impending departures of Business Development and Evangelism Executive Vice President Tony Bates and Marketing Executive Vice President Tami Reller, and a move by 20-year company veteran Julie Larson-Green from Devices head to chief experience officer (CXO) in executive vice president Qi Lu’s Applications and Services Engineering Group, ostensibly to make room for incoming Nokia (NOK) chief Stephen Elop.
Larson-Green, who was passed over when Myerson was promoted to Windows head last July, earlier had taken over Windows software and hardware engineering in the wake of Sinofsky’s removal.
At the time of George’s and DeVaan’s leaving, some inside the Windows unit criticized Microsoft for shelving two experienced executives who could have helped Myerson make the new organization work. Now with Leblond’s exit, the post-Sinofsky makeover is complete.
