News

Ex-Windows Chief Sinofsky To Teach at Harvard Business School

• By Gladys Rama
• December 20, 2012

Just over a month after his unexpected departure from Microsoft, former Windows Division President Steven Sinofsky announced he is accepting a teaching position at Harvard Business School.

In a Tweet on Wednesday morning, Sinofsky announced he will be joining Harvard Business School in the spring. "New perspectives, recharge, share experiences, write," he said.

Sinofsky had previously been a "visiting scholar" at Harvard Business School in 1998, according to CNET. In his Tweets, he pointed to two Harvard Business School papers he co-authored, "Learning from Projects: Note on Conducting a Postmortem Analysis" and "Microsoft Office: Finding the Suite Spot." He also co-authored a book with Harvard Business School professor Marco Iansiti titled One Strategy: Organization, Planning, and Decision Making.

Sinofsky indicated that his new title will be "Executive in Residence" and involve "research, writing, classroom on prod dev, planning, collaboration, and more."

Sinofsky left Microsoft in mid-November after over 20 years with the company, three of them at the helm of the Windows division. Many expected him to eventually succeed Steve Ballmer as Microsoft's CEO. Sinofsky was widely credited for Windows 7's success, particularly after the unpopular Vista. His departure came less than a month after he oversaw the launch of Windows 8, which represented a dramatic overhaul of the Windows operating system and Microsoft's first major push into touch-based computing.

Microsoft gave no official reason for Sinofsky's exit, though many industry watchers speculated that Sinofsky's prickly relationship with top Microsoft executives and controlling management style contributed to him parting ways with the company.

However, Sinofsky said in an internal memo that his exit was a planned decision, not the result of personality clashes.

"Some might notice a bit of chatter speculating about this decision or timing," Sinofsky wrote in the memo. "I can assure you that none could be true as this was a personal and private choice that in no way reflects any speculation or theories one might read -- about me, opportunity, the company or its leadership."

After Sinofsky's departure, Microsoft split the Windows division duties between Corporate Vice President Julie Larson-Green and Chief Financial Officer Tami Reller.