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Yesterday’s abrupt and puzzling departure of Martin Taylor, the Microsoft corporate VP in charge of marketing for the high profile Windows Live offerings, is fertile ground for speculation and the theories have already started to crop up. Parmy Olson at Forbes recounts Taylor’s puzzling disappearance and offers:
Not surprisingly, Taylor’s sudden departure has left many scratching their heads. Some observers believe Ray Ozzie, the man set to take over Bill Gates’ role as chairman in 2008, may have had a hand in trying prepare his own team of executives. With Windows Live still in its fledgling stages, this was perhaps a good a time as any to reshuffle the deck.Either way, Taylor’s departure will likely be disruptive. Microsoft will be losing the executive just as Windows Live starts a roll-out of 20 more products and a big marketing blitz this summer.
Whew, that’s mighty hefty theorizing! While the possibility exists that Ozzie might become chairman, right now he’s chief software architect and one would expect marketing to be outside his purview.
As long as we are making stuff up though, I’m partial to a Pirates of the Caribbean theory myself – someone in Microsoft’s executive suite surely must have noticed that it was rather odd marketing to so intimately tie Tuesday’s announcement of the first real Windows Live product and a pillar of the Windows Live strategy to a sequel of an old Disney movie.
Update: Theories seem to be sparser than I anticipated, but there’s now the “Maybe he took Ballmer’s parking space” theory and Benjamin J. Romano at The Seattle Times observes that:
Taylor’s exit comes a month after his boss, David Cole, head of the online business group, began a yearlong leave of absence. Cole was replaced by Steve Berkowitz, former president of search company Ask.com.
Update 6/21: Todd Bishop delivers the best line – “Well, Martin Taylor wasn’t Mini-Microsoft, apparently.” The Mini-Microsoft commentary is here and, as always, check the comments.
Software giant Microsoft Corp. said on Friday it hired away Steve Berkowitz, the chief executive of rival Internet company Ask.com, to head Microsoft’s own Internet business.
Effective May 8, Berkowitz succeeds David Cole, a 20-year Microsoft veteran, who is set to begin a one-year leave of absence, Microsoft said in a statement. He had outlined his plans in a memo to employees in February.
We mentioned the Cole LOA when it was announced.
Berkowitz was named the senior vice president of Microsoft’s recently formed Online Business Group, which brings together the operations of Microsoft’s MSN Internet business unit with other consumer businesses within Microsoft.
The group includes MSN.com, MSNTV and MSN Internet Access programming, advertising sales, business development, and marketing for Live Platforms, MSN and Windows Live, with responsibility for generating greater advertising sales.
The Online Business Group was created in the March reorganization of Microsoft’s Platform and Services Group and reports to Kevin Johnson.
Berkowitz is credited in the industry with orchestrating the turnaround of Ask.com, the Web search and media business acquired by Barry Diller’s conglomerate, IAC/InterActiveCorp, for $1.85 billion 13 months ago.
Under his leadership, Ask, originally known as Ask Jeeves, enjoyed a revival in its audience and market share gains in the highly competitive Web search business over the past year.
…
Previously, Berkowitz was president and chief operating officer of technology trade publisher IDG Books, where he built a hit consumer brand by expanding the “Dummies” series of books to cover topics ranging from the Web to pet care. He expanded IDG Books by acquiring publishing brands such as Cliffs Notes, Frommers Travel Guides and Betty Crocker Cookbooks.
All good experience, I’m sure, but he’s going to have his work cut out for him propelling Microsoft to the top of the online bigs.
