Microsoft Windows unit chief steps down
Microsoft announced that Windows and Windows Live president Steven Sinofsky is leaving the company.
Windows executives Julie Larson-Green and Tami Reller will meanwhile take expanded roles. These changes are effective immediately, the software giant said in a statement released Monday.
Larson-Green will be promoted to lead all Windows software and hardware engineering. Reller will assume responsibility for the Windows business, while retaining her roles as CFO and CMO. Both executives will report directly to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
Microsoft didn’t give an explanation about Sinofsky's unexpected departure, but online media speculated that his exit is due to a poor reception for Windows 8.
Craig Thompson to lead Alcatel-Lucent’s new IPR unit
Alcatel-Lucent has appointed Craig Thompson to lead a new business unit managing the vendor’s portfolios of intellectual property assets as a dedicated profit center.
The new intellectual property unit is created as part of the strategic initiative Alcatel-Lucent announced in September that aimed at generating €1.25 billion ($1.58 billion) in cost savings by year-end.
In his role as SVP of intellectual property, Thomson will oversee the company’s patent portfolio, which includes more than 29,000 issued patents and patent applications encompassing a range of technologies.
Thompson will assume his new role on December 3. He will report to Jeong Kim, president of Bell Labs.
Prior to joining Alcatel-Lucent, Thompson worked with Nokia where he most recently served as VP of legal and intellectual property affairs of the company’s mobile phone business.
Thuraya names NA regional director to support government solutions
Mobile satellite services operator Thuraya Telecommunications Company has appointed Joseph R. (JR) Francis as regional director for North America.
Francis will be based in the U.S. and will oversee business development and solidify Thuraya’s support of the government market. He will focus on operations, management and support of service partners and identification of new market opportunities.
Francis, with over a decade of experience in the satellite and aerospace industry, joins Thuraya from SES where he held a variety of management and leadership roles focused on the US government market.