Burgum to Relinquish MBS Top Spot

Following 18 months of strategic overhauls and high-level leadership shifts, and several years of middling financial results, Senior Vice President Doug Burgum will vacate the top leadership spot in the Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) division. Burgum has led the MBS organization since its inception and his name has become almost synonymous with Great Plains, the business management and accounting software company he led since 1984 and sold to Microsoft in Dec. 2000. Although his departure may concern existing MBS partners and customers, the change is not likely to trigger any immediate technical or strategic shifts in the division.

A New Role

According to a Nov. 2005 announcement and interview posted on Microsoft’s Web site, Burgum will assume the newly created title of Chairman of MBS. The announcement suggested that, in his new role, Burgum would serve as an advocate for Microsoft’s business applications among existing and prospective partners and customers, and within Microsoft itself. Beyond evangelism for MBS, however, his responsibilities as Chairman remain largely unspecified. Burgum will continue to lead MBS while the company searches for a senior executive to assume operational responsibility of the organization. No other MBS organization changes were announced.