Microsoft Corp officially announced the appointment we all already knew about yesterday. Richard Belluzzo, ex CEO of Silicon Graphics Inc until he resigned abruptly last month, was appointed as group vice president Microsoft’s Consumer and Commerce Group, reporting directly to Steve Ballmer. Marketing man Brad Chase and Microsoft Office czar Jon DeVaan, jointly appointed head of the division at Microsoft’s Vision 2 reorganization back in the spring in the absence of a real figurehead, are both now promoted to senior vice presidents, but nevertheless will report to Belluzzo. The three are styled as the core leadership team of CCG and Belluzzo says he is fully behind the strategy Chase and DeVaan have already put in place. Also reporting to Belluzzo will be Mosche Lichtman, head of CCG’s international efforts, Rich Barton, manager of the Expedia travel service, and Lewis Levin, who heads internet bill payment.
Ballmer told analysts and journalists yesterday that he’d agreed with Chase and DeVaan from the start that the company would be looking for other talents to help run the crucial CCG division. Ballmer first met Belluzzo fifteen years ago when he was running Hewlett-Packard Co’s laser printer business, which he said must be the largest consumer business in the computer industry. But he insisted that Belluzzo, as well as being a great, focused leader used to dealing with complicated, fast changing businesses, had plenty of software experience as well as his more obvious credentials in the hardware sector – an attempt to answer criticisms that a hardware-oriented executive might not appear to be the obvious choice for the position.
Belluzzo’s task is to continue Microsoft’s focus on the consumer and small business customer, and shift Microsoft from the number three slot to number one in terms of internet traffic. That focus covers TV as well as PC delivery, software services, consumer portals and the whole process of connecting people up to the internet, said Ballmer. Brad and John have laid out our strategy, some of which we’ve shared and some we haven’t and have brought Rik up to speed. He promised further strategy announcements over the course of the next month.
