Myerson will “pursue his next chapter outside Microsoft”

Mar 30, 2018 04:41 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has announced that Terry Myerson, the company’s Executive Vice President of the Windows and Devices Group, would be leaving the firm after no less than 21 years spent within the software giant.

The departure is surprising, to say the least, and triggers a massive reorganization within the company, with CEO Satya Nadella also forming two new engineering teams for increased focus on cloud and AI.

As far as Myerson’s decision to leave Microsoft goes, Nadella says they’ll continue to work together for the next months to ensure a smooth transition, though no other details have been provided on his next destination, other than he will “pursue his next chapter outside Microsoft.”

“Terry has been instrumental in helping me arrive at this new organizational structure, and I deeply appreciate his leadership and insight as we’ve worked through the opportunity that lies ahead. Over the past several years, Terry and the WDG team transformed Windows to create a secure, always up-to-date, modern OS,” Nadella said.

“I’m ready for a break”

In a post on LinkedIn, Terry Myerson explains that what he wants after leaving Microsoft is a break and spend some time with his family.

“I will now take some time to train for a half Ironman, learn to play the piano or guitar (my daughter is voting guitar, but having listened to Joe Belfiore and Chuck Friedman play piano on so many late nights, I’m leaning that way), learning more about genomics and robotics which fascinate me, and spending some overdue quality time with Katie and our kids,” he says.

Terry Myerson joined Microsoft in 1997 when the software giant purchased Interse Corporation, the company that he founded. He had several roles at Microsoft, including leading the engineering teams that built products like Microsoft Exchange and Windows Phone, and was promoted to Executive Vice President of the Windows and Devices Group in July 2013 when Satya Nadella conducted a company-wide reorganization.

The end of the post on LinkedIn says everything about how committed Myerson has always been to his job at Microsoft:

“I’m editing this post today, the day before I will publish. I’m sitting down next to Bill Gates for my last scheduled meeting as leader of Windows and Devices at Microsoft. My team is debating with him the future of Project Rome and Windows Timeline. The conversation is smart, insightful and invigorating – and we’re both drinking Diet Cokes – just like that first meeting 21 years ago. A great bookend to over two amazing decades with Microsoft.”