Blair Westlake has resigned from Microsoft after 10 years of service, cites company is moving in a “direction that doesn’t fit his expertise or skill sets.”
In a report by Variety, it has been confirmed that Corporate VP of Microsoft’s Media and Entertainment Group, Blair Westlake, has cut ties with the company. Westlake, who oversees media partnerships and licensing of TV and movies for the Xbox division, cites Microsoft’s new direction as the reason for his departure.
It has become clear to me that the organization is moving in a direction that does not fit either my expertise or my skill sets…Over the last few months Microsoft has been undergoing a large-scale reorganization. During that period, I have had the privilege of working with numerous talented and professional people. While I will miss their company and our interaction, I truly believe that this move is in the best interest of all parties concerned. I want to thank my talented and committed team, as well as Yusuf Mehdi, Robbie Bach, Will Poole and Hank Vigil, all of whom had a significant and positive impact on me during my tenure at Microsoft.
Westlake was formerly with Universal as a chairman of its television division and joined Microsoft back in 2004. His departure doesn’t mean Microsoft is focusing on less multimedia for the Xbox brand though, as Microsoft hired longtime CBS president, Nancy Tellem, to serve as president of entertainment and digital media in September last year, with the post overseeing development and production of exclusive series on Xbox platforms.
Source: Variety via GamesIndustry
Published: Jan 16, 2014 11:07 am