Microsoft reportedly moves communications under Brad Smith · Digg

Microsoft reportedly moves communications under Brad Smith

GeekWire reports the function is leaving marketing as Microsoft prepares a more direct, employee-led public communications strategy.

3 Sources, ,

TLDR

Microsoft is moving its communications function out of marketing and into the Corporate, External and Legal Affairs organization led by vice chair and president Brad Smith, according to internal emails reviewed by GeekWire. Brent Colburn will serve as interim communications leader starting next week, while longtime communications chief Frank X. Shaw shifts to an advisory role during the transition. Satya Nadella and Smith framed the change as a response to a fragmented media environment and said more employees and executives should become part of Microsoft's public voice.

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Microsoft is reportedly moving its communications operation out of the company's marketing group and into the Corporate, External and Legal Affairs organization led by vice chair and president Brad Smith.

GeekWire reports that CEO Satya Nadella and Smith described the reorganization in internal emails on Sept. 24. The move changes where the communications function sits inside Microsoft; it does not establish a new permanent communications chief.

Brent Colburn, Microsoft's vice president of global public affairs, will become interim communications leader effective next week and report to Smith. Colburn had planned to leave in mid-October, but GeekWire reports that he will now remain through December and is not a candidate for the permanent job.

Frank X. Shaw, Microsoft's longtime communications chief, will step away from his current responsibilities and advise Smith and Colburn during the transition. Microsoft said Shaw, who announced earlier in September that he would leave at the end of the year, will remain through that timetable.

A push to speak more directly

Nadella framed the structure change as part of a broader response to a media environment he called increasingly fragmented and noisy. His memo argued that engineers, sellers, partners and other employees closest to Microsoft's products and customers should become a larger part of how the company explains itself.

Smith echoed that approach, writing that Microsoft will likely have more employees and executives acting as part of its public voice, including on social media. The shift puts corporate communications alongside Microsoft's legal, policy and external-affairs work while the company searches for Shaw's permanent successor.

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3 Sources

@TechmemeEmail: Microsoft is moving its communications function out of its marketing group and into the corporate, external, and legal affairs org led by Brad Smith (@toddbishop / GeekWire) (Visit Techmeme dot com for the link and full context!)

@tomwarrensurprise announcement from Microsoft today. It's moving its comms teams out of marketing and into the legal and corporate side of the house under president Brad Smith https://www.theverge.com/news/1000374/microsoft-comms-pr-brad-smith-cela

@vergeMicrosoft’s communications are moving over to the legal and corporate side of the house. https://www.theverge.com/news/1000374/microsoft-comms-pr-brad-smith-cela

Today's Rank

#11

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TLDR

Featured Source

Microsoft reportedly moves communications under Brad Smith

TLDR

A push to speak more directly

Microsoft reportedly moves communications under Brad Smith

3 Sources

Combined views

A push to speak more directly

Sentiment

Summary

TLDR

A push to speak more directly

Sentiment

Summary

Sentiment

Summary

A push to speak more directly

3 Sources

Sentiment

Summary