News
Former Windows Azure GM Named CIO of Washington State
- By Gladys Rama
- November 15, 2011
Bharat Shyam, an 18-year Microsoft veteran, has been named the new chief information officer (CIO) for the state of Washington.
Shyam's appointment was announced by Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire on Monday. "I am incredibly impressed with Bharat," Gregoire said in a prepared statement. "With nearly 20 years of experience at Microsoft, he brings a deep understanding of software and technology."
According to his LinkedIn profile, Shyam began his Microsoft career as a software design engineer for Windows CE and Internet Explorer. He also contributed to the creation of the billing system for several of Microsoft's online services, including Xbox Live, Hotmail and MSN Mobile.
In 2007, Shyam became general manager in the Windows group, where he oversaw the releases of Windows Vista and service packs 1 and 2 of Windows Server 2008. He also helped streamline the process of building and releasing service packs for Windows 7, as well as the process of delivering Windows hotfixes and security updates.
Most recently, Shyam served as general manager of developer platform and engineering planning for Windows Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform. He held this role from 2009 until his departure from the company this past September.
As CIO, Shyam will be responsible for creating "clarity and alignment for IT investments" made by the state of Washington, according to a press release. His annual salary will be $147,154.