April 25th, 2007
Yet another Microsoft search exec calls it quits
The shake-ups in Microsoft's search organization aren't over yet.
On April 24, Microsoft announced internally that Dane Glasgow, general manager for Live Search, is leaving the company to work for various nonprofits and spend more time with his family.
Glasgow was one of the handful of direct reports of Satya Nadella, Microsoft's newly appointed search chief, who is heading up Microsoft's combined search and ad platform unit. Glasgow helped Microsoft launch Windows Desktop Search and has been part of the team behind the first wave of Windows Live services.
(Nadella replaced Chris Payne, the former head of search who left Microsoft at the end of March.)
According to a note that Nadella sent to the Live Search team on April 24:
"With the Search team's exit from planning complete, Dane Glasgow has decided to leave Microsoft to pursue non-profit interests and spend time with his family before taking on a new entrepreneurial challenge. Dane has worked in the services business at Microsoft for nearly 8 years, joining the company in 1999 through the acquisition of Jump Networks. During his time at Microsoft, Dane has worked on large scale services like Hotmail and Search as well as clients such as our Toolbar and Gadgets platform. Dane helped launch our Windows Desktop Search offering, worked to deliver our first release of Windows Live, and has been a strong advocate for incubation within the company. I thank Dane for his contributions, and wish him all the best in his future pursuits.
"I am working with my leadership team and Dane's existing directs to identify the right successor. During this time, Dane's team will report directly to me. I have asked Ramez Naam to step in as the interim Director to ensure we streamline decision making and making sure that we stay on track with our Fall Release roadmap."
Glasgow's last day will be Friday April 27, according to sources close to the company.
A Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed Glasgow's departure plans. She said that despite the departure, Search remained a "strong team and plans and are marching forward."
Microsoft's Live division — and specifically the Search unit — has been in the midst of a reorg dating back to at least last fall.
In March, Blake Irving, the Corporate VP in charge of the Windows Live platform, announced his plans to leave Microsoft, effective this summer. Payne announced his resignation from Microsoft shortly after Irving made his announcement.
In late March, Microsoft announced that it was combining together its search, adCenter advertising and online commerce businesses into a single new division headed by Nadella. Prior to that shift, the Live Search team reported to Steven Sinofsky, the head of Windows and Windows Live engineering.
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