New Operations Chief Takes Sales

A retailing executive has been chosen to fill the long-vacant chief operating officer (COO) role at Microsoft and to assume leadership of Microsoft’s sales, marketing, and services units. Kevin Turner, 40, will step into a chief operating officer role last held by Richard Belluzzo and will take over Kevin Johnson’s responsibilities for worldwide sales, marketing, and services. Johnson, a 13-year veteran at Microsoft, will assume another management role, expected to be announced in Sept. 2005.

Turner is familiar with technology, stemming from his role as Wal-Mart’s chief information officer. The company is famous in the retail industry for rapidly adopting new technologies, such as RFID and data mining, that have helped it become the world’s largest retailer. However, it’s Turner’s experience as the president of Sam’s Club, a warehouse discount store with US$37 billion in annual sales, that probably played the most significant role in the decision to put him at the head of Microsoft’s sales and marketing efforts, reporting directly to CEO Steve Ballmer. Turner was a popular leader at Sam’s Club, and same-store sales grew twice as fast in the last year as those for Wal-Mart overall. Turner is the second COO to also head Microsoft’s sales and service organization; Belluzzo had similar responsibilities during his tenure.