Kurt DelBene - CDO, Microsoft
Microsoft chief information officer (CIO) Jim DuBois has left the company, with the long-time Redmond veteran set to be replaced by Kurt DelBene as chief digital officer (CDO).
First revealed by GeekWire, DuBois was on sabbatical and opted to exit the tech giant as global restructuring plans - set to impact as many as 4000 roles - play out.
As a result, fellow stalwart DelBene will assume the new role of CDO, working closely with the company’s core engineering teams, while overseeing broader digital transformation strategies.
Having first joined Microsoft in 1993, DuBois leaves behind almost 25 years of service, after being appointed CIO in 2013.
Under DuBois' leadership, the IT department was responsible for security, infrastructure, messaging and business applications for all of Microsoft, including support of the product groups, the corporate business groups, and the global sales and marketing organisation.
While DelBene will oversee the IT department in his new role, he will predominantly be focused on driving internal digital agendas to help the vendor modernise its internal IT practices.
Specifically, as CDO and executive vice president of corporate strategy, core services engineering and operations, DelBene will lead the company’s cross-engineering and cross-business strategy, execution and planning initiatives.
DelBene joined Microsoft in 1992, rising up the engineering ranks to run the vendor’s former Office division.
The change at the top follows widespread speculation of impending organisational changes at Microsoft, reportedly set to come largely from the company’s operations outside of the United States.
The reorganisation, which is expected to affect the company’s sales and marketing teams globally, is anticipated to see somewhere between 3000 and 4000 jobs hit, according to a report by The New York Times.
The publication reported that a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that roles would be “eliminated”, although firm numbers around how many jobs will actually go and where they will come from are yet to emerge.
