Microsoft’s Chief Product Officer, Panos Panay, is set to leave the company, according to an announcement made by Executive Vice President Rajesh Jha to Microsoft employees. This news comes as part of a larger shakeup within the company’s leadership, signaling a changing of the guard.
Panay has been a key figure at Microsoft for over a decade, overseeing the sales of their Surface PCs and presenting them to consumers at various events. However, despite his efforts, Surface sales have struggled to keep up with the rapid growth of cloud services. Additionally, Microsoft’s Windows operating system has yet to regain momentum after a dip in sales caused by the pandemic.
Despite the departure of Panay, Microsoft remains committed to both the Surface PC and Windows. Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s Consumer Chief Marketing Officer, will take the lead on these businesses and products. The company’s CEO, Satya Nadella, expressed confidence in Mehdi, stating, “We remain steadfast and convicted in our strategy.”
As part of the leadership changes, Charles Simonyi, the developer behind popular Microsoft applications Word and Excel, will be joining the management teams for the Experiences and Devices group under Jha’s leadership. Simonyi’s expertise will be valuable as Microsoft continues to innovate and develop new products and experiences.
Jha emphasized in his memo to employees that Microsoft’s commitment to Surface and mixed reality (MR) remains unwavering. MR includes Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented-reality devices, which the company sees as a significant area of growth and potential.
The timing of Panay’s departure is notable, as it comes just days before Microsoft’s event in New York where the company is expected to unveil its next generation of Surface devices. Despite Surface’s relatively small market share in PC shipments, the device designs have inspired other manufacturers that sell Windows machines, generating revenue for Microsoft through license sales.
Panay, who joined Microsoft in 2004, made a statement on social media expressing gratitude for his time at the company and hinting at his next chapter. “After 19 incredible years at Microsoft, I’ve decided to turn the page and write the next chapter,” he wrote. His future plans beyond Microsoft have yet to be announced.
Overall, this leadership shakeup at Microsoft reflects the company’s ongoing efforts to adapt to changing market dynamics and prioritize growth areas such as cloud services and innovative hardware. As the technology landscape continues to evolve, Microsoft is positioning itself for success in the future.