Xbox boss Marc Whitten bid adieu to his company of 14 years for a new job as Chief Product Officer of the multiroom speaker system making company, Sonos.
Microsoft's top employee Marc Whitten, who worked as the chief product officer and corporate vice president for the Xbox team, confirmed his departure from the company after 14-years of service. The announcement, which came through Xbox Wire, revealed Whitten's next employer as the California-based home theater system making company, Sonos.
According to Monday's post, Whitten started his career with Microsoft right after completing his college. He was appointed as a software engineer for Windows 2000 and joined the Xbox team in 2000. Under his watch, Microsoft launched the original Xbox, Xbox 360 and the latest Xbox One. Whitten also helped the Redmond software giant to launch Xbox Live.
"I have had the extreme pleasure over the last 14 years to work on the greatest product with the greatest team and for the greatest community," Whitten said. "Xbox is so special because of the amazing team I've had the opportunity to work with and because our fans are the most incredible fans on the planet. It has been the highlight of my career to work on a product so loved. It's incredibly tough to leave but I am confident the best days are ahead for Xbox fans, in the capable hands of a very talented team."
As for the Xbox team, Whitten's departure will not change anything, except the staff will directly report to Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the operating systems group. But Myerson said in his note that he will help Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft Studios and Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of strategy and marketing find a great replacement for Whitten.
Whitten's departure from the company follows a recent reshuffle in Microsoft involving top rank officials. Don Mattrick, the former head of Microsoft's entertainment division left the company in July for a new job as the CEO at Zynga. Other high-rank departures from Microsoft include EVP of business development and evangelism, Tony Bates, and EVP of marketing Tami Reller.
Whitten shared a close relationship with Mehdi over the last 14 years, Mehdi described his contribution as "pivatol" and said he was a great "partner."
"Marc played a pivotal role in building the Xbox business over the last 14 years and has been a great partner for me personally," Mehdi, said. "Marc has built a very strong and passionate team that has delivered innovative technology for game and entertainment fans. Our fans will continue to inspire us to do great work on their behalf."
