steven sinofsky

Windows 8 was the crowning achievement in a distinguished career of shipping quality products for Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky. That's why his exit from Microsoft just weeks after the Windows 8 launch seemed so surprising.

But Sinofsky, a strong-willed executive with a reputation for butting heads with those in other divisions, had even been battling with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. The company's senior leaders were increasingly concerned about Sinofsky's ability to collaborate with other groups at a time when Microsoft needs more cross-product synergy to better compete against Apple and Google. So once Windows 8 shipped, Sinofsky … Read more

Microsoft experienced an executive shakeup this week that surprised many.

Steven Sinofsky, the Microsoft executive who turned the company's Windows franchise around and just led the effort to release Windows 8, left the company, effective immediately. Sinofsky, a controversial figure at the company, was reportedly warring with Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer.

The company said the decision behind Sinofsky's departure was mutual, though the abruptness of the announcement might suggest otherwise. Some Microsoft watchers had pegged Sinofsky as a CEO-in-waiting, but he developed a reputation for being divisive and not working well with executives in other divisions.

In … Read more

Former Microsoft executive Steven Sinofsky has sounded off on claims that he tried to take over the company's Windows Phone and developer businesses.

Hal Berenson, president of True Mountain Group, a company that provides technology and management consulting, wrote in a blog post earlier this week that he'd heard from Microsoft employees that Windows chief Sinofsky was waging battles over the last several months to take control of the company's Windows Phone and Developer divisions. His actions were turned away by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and other top executives, leading to his departure, Berenson claims.

Sinofsky rebutted … Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- It's been a busy couple of months for Microsoft, what with two of the company's more important product launches, not to mention the surprise resignation of its Windows chief just this week. But for CEO Steve Ballmer, it's pretty much business as usual.

In his first public appearance since the resignation of Steven Sinofsky, Ballmer did "the vision thing" for a Silicon Valley audience as he fielded questions from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman during a discussion about the state of the technology industry at the Churchill Club.

Ballmer got the Sinofsky … Read more

From various reports, it appeared that Steve Ballmer had reached his limit with Windows chief Steven Sinofsky. He had rolled out Windows 8 and the Surface with some success, but it was time in the organization for a different leadership style. After 23 years, Sinofsky was sent packing, or decided make his own exit. The company said the decision was mutually agreed upon by the two longtime colleagues.

In a conversation with Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder and venture capitalist, at a Churchill Clubevent, Ballmer was asked about future directions with the management change but didn't shed much light … Read more

Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer decided he had had enough of Windows Division President Steven Sinofsky.

Sinofsky had developed a stellar reputation for shipping quality products on time. And he streamlined the management structure in the gigantic Windows division so that it hummed and produced the latest version of the company's flagship product on a tight deadline to solid, if not spectacular, reviews.

But a day after Sinofsky's sudden departure from Microsoft, it's also clear that Ballmer recognized that the Windows leader was too divisive of a figure to continue on at the software giant, where … Read more

Microsoft shareholders appear to be at least a little concerned about Steven Sinofsky's departure.

In their first chance to chime in on the news this morning, Microsoft shareholders cut 3 percent from the software giant's stock price, dropping it to $27.10. Considering Microsoft closed the day yesterday at $28.22, that's not a major drop, but a notable one, nonetheless.

Microsoft announced Sinofsky's departure last night. In an e-mail to employees, the Windows boss said that after 23 years at the company, he's leaving Microsoft to "seek new opportunities." In his own e-mail to the troops, … Read more

In the hours following word of Windows President Steven Sinofsky's immediate departure from the company , speculation swirled as to the "real" reasons for the move.

A number of folks on Twitter and e-mail opined that they believed supposed poor early sales of Windows 8 and/or the Surface RT were to blame. I'm betting many Microsoft watchers on Wall Street will react similarly. Windows 8 launched commercially just about three weeks ago; it's too soon to judge if the latest Windows release and the Microsoft Surface tablet will be deemed successes or failures. And still … Read more

Observers describe Steven Sinofsky as many things -- brilliant, arrogant, abrasive, demanding -- check out this terrific profile my CNET colleague Jay Greene did in October -- but who would have thought the departing Windows boss would inspire such an outpouring of Twitter wit (Twit?). Within minutes of this evening's surprise announcement that Sinofsky had left Microsoft immediately, the wisenheimers flooded the transom with their apercus. The following is just a sample:

Overheard (made up by me) ... Sinofky was having an affair with Mrs. Petreaus ...cc @adamnash and @owenthomas

For the record I have … Read more