Skype firing execs before Microsoft merger?
Internet phone giant dismisses a handful of senior executives ahead of Microsoft's $8.5 billion acquisition, according to a Bloomberg report. Plus: FTC approves the deal.
Skype, the Internet phone giant recently purchased by Microsoft, is firing senior executives ahead of the deal's closure, a move that reduces their payout, Bloomberg reports.
Four vice presidents, the company's chief marketing officer and human resources chief were among those dismissed from the Luxembourg-based company, according to the report, which cited sources who requested anonymity because the departures weren't made public. The report also named two other executives from a recent acquisition who were let go.
"As part of a recent internal shift, Skype has made some management changes," Skype spokesman Brian O'Shaughnessy told Bloomberg.
Microsoft representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The software titan announced its intentions in May to acquire Skype for $8.5 billion--it's largest acquisition ever. On Friday, the Federal Trade Commission gave its blessing to the deal, which still awaits approval by the Justice Department, according to the Associated Press.
Microsoft said at the time it plans to integrate Skype's technology with the Xbox game console and Kinect motion-sensing device, as well as with its Windows Phone platform. The company also will "connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live, and other communities."