E&D Shuffle and Other Organizational Changes

Shuffles in Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices (E&D) Division in spring 2009 reflect the company’s evolving strategy for mobile phones and portable music players. Other organizational changes include the impending retirement of Microsoft’s top intellectual property lawyer, a new marketing head for Server and Tools, and a new leader for the group focused on emerging markets.

This article covers all known changes at the vice-presidential level and above since Feb. 2009. For more details, see the online OrgChart.

E&D Changes

The E&D division, led by President Robert Bach, saw several organizational changes in spring 2009. Many reflect an ongoing effort by Microsoft to revitalize its digital music and mobile device strategies with new leadership.

Rick Thompson is now corporate vice president of Music Services; previously, he was corporate vice president of Zune and Music Services. The change reflects the dissolution of the Zune group into various other product teams. According to a Feb. 2009 post on Microsoft’s Zune Insider blog, hardware development moved to the Mobile Communications group under Tom Gibbons, and software and services moved to the Connected Entertainment group under Enrique Rodriguez. Thompson continues to report to Bach.