Panos Panay, the chief product officer at Microsoft, is leaving the company after nearly 20 years. Panay’s departure comes at a critical time for Microsoft, as it is preparing to launch a new generation of Surface devices on September 21.
In an email to employees, Rajesh Jha, Microsoft’s vice president of experience and devices, said that Panay “has decided to leave Microsoft after nearly 20 years.” Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, commented on the departure, saying:
Panay joined Microsoft in 2004 and quickly rose through the ranks. He was instrumental in the development of the Surface line of devices, which debuted in 2012. The Surface line includes a variety of devices, including laptops, tablets, and desktops.
In 2018, Panay was promoted to chief product officer of Microsoft. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing the development of both hardware and software products. He played a key role in the development of Windows 11, which was released in 2021.
Panay is known for his passion for products and his ability to connect with customers. He is also known for his ability to create a culture of innovation and collaboration within Microsoft.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Panay says “he’s “decided to turn the page and write the next chapter,” adding that he’s “forever grateful for my time at Microsoft and the amazing people I had the honor to make products with.”
Microsoft has announced that Panay’s many roles will be taken on by different people. Pavan Davuluri will continue to oversee the development of experiences across Windows, client, and cloud devices. Microsoft is also creating a new Windows and Web Experiences Team, with members such as Shilpa Ranganathan and Jeff Jonhson reporting to Mikhail Parakhin. Finally, Yusuf Mehdi will take on the role of managing the Windows and Surface businesses with OEM and retail partners.
What’s next for Panos?
Well, it doesn’t take long to figure out where he’s going next. According to Bloomberg, Panay is joining Amazon to lead its Alexa and Echo division. He will replace Dave Limp, the Amazon executive previously in charge of Alexa and Echo, who announced his retirement last month.
Limp left big shoes to fill, but Panay is a well-respected executive with a proven track record. It’s not clear what Panay’s job title will be at Amazon, and both companies declined to comment on Bloomberg’s report. Ironically, both Amazon and Microsoft have fall hardware events scheduled this week. So it will be interesting to see how Panay’s move impacts the two companies.
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(Via)
