Microsoft's Panos Panay Makes Shocking Move to Amazon: Key Changes Revealed

Politics, News Sept. 20, 2023, 11:22 p.m.

Microsofts Panos Panay departs after 20 years, heading to Amazon. Key personnel changes outlined. Commitment to Surface remains as new products are set to launch.

On September 18, 2023, at 1:50 PM ET, Bloomberg released a report stating that Panos Panay is set to depart from Microsoft and take on a new role at Amazon, where he will lead the division responsible for managing Alexa and the Echo smart speakers. This development comes as Dave Limp, Amazon's current hardware chief, is preparing to retire by the end of 2023.

Panos Panay, a Microsoft veteran of two decades, who most recently held the reins of Windows client and Surface, will be bidding farewell to the company. The news was officially disclosed in an internal email by Rajesh Jha, Microsoft's EVP of Experiences & Devices, earlier today. Jha's email expressed gratitude for Panos's immense contributions to Microsoft's product lineup, its corporate culture, and the broader devices ecosystem. Under Panos's leadership, the iconic Surface brand was born, producing beloved products. More recently, as the head of Windows, his team introduced groundbreaking services and experiences to countless users with the launch of Windows 11, available on innovative devices from Microsoft's OEM partners. Panos's departure leaves a notable void at Microsoft, and he will be fondly remembered.

Effective immediately, Microsoft will fortify its strategy in two key areas:

Building silicon, systems, and devices for an AI-driven world: This initiative will be spearheaded by Pavan Davuluri, reporting directly to Rajesh Jha. A team comprising Brett Ostrum, Nino Storniolo, Linda Averett, Ken Pan, Ralf Groene, Aidan Marcuss, Carlos Picoto, Stevie Bathiche, Robin Seiler, Ruben Caballero, and Anuj Gosalia will transition to report to Pavan, with their teams remaining intact. Windows planning and release management will remain under this team's purview. Microsoft's unwavering commitment to Surface and Mixed Reality (MR) remains steadfast.

Creating experiences that seamlessly integrate web, services, and Windows for an AI-centric world: To realize this vision, Shilpa Ranganathan, Jeff Johnson, and Ali Akgun will directly report to Mikhail Parakhin, forming a new Windows and Web Experiences Team, taking their teams along with them.

Yusuf Mehdi will assume the responsibility of leading Microsoft's Windows and Surface businesses in collaboration with OEM and Retail partners. Furthermore, Charles Simonyi, Terri Chudzik, and Erin Kolb will join the Experiences & Devices (E+D) management teams, while Ralf Groene and Mike Davidson will work together to optimize design team alignment. An Ask Me Anything (AMA) session will be scheduled in the coming days to address any questions and concerns from employees.

Despite this significant change, Microsoft remains steadfast in its commitment to the Surface product line and its loyal customer base. Expect to see the launch of exciting new Surface products in the foreseeable future, with Microsoft gearing up to unveil the Surface Laptop Studio 2, Surface Go 4, and Surface Laptop Go 4 at a special event in New York City this week.

Panos Panay's departure is sure to surprise many, given his unwavering passion and dedication to his work on Surface and, more recently, Windows. His leadership was instrumental in reinvigorating Microsoft's interest in the Windows OS, culminating in the release of Windows 11 in 2021.

In a tweet, Panay shared his sentiments, saying: "After 19 incredible years at Microsoft, I've decided to turn the page and write the next chapter. I’m forever grateful for my time at Microsoft and the amazing people I had the honor to make products with."

The internal memo also hints at Microsoft's strategic focus areas for Windows and hardware as they head into 2024:

The memo discreetly alludes to the formation of a new Windows and Web Experiences organization, rumored to be working on a secretive new iteration of Windows. This new version is expected to be a cloud and web-first operating system designed to compete with Chrome OS. Mikhail Parakhin appears to be leading this initiative, and further details about this project are anticipated in the near future.

In closing, Jha emphasizes that Microsoft's dedication to the Surface brand and its loyal customer base remains unaltered. Microsoft continues to innovate and bring exciting new products to the market, ensuring its position as a key player in the tech industry. The upcoming product launches, including the Surface Laptop Studio 2, Surface Go 4, and Surface Laptop Go 4, affirm Microsoft's commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology to its customers.