“Juniper Networks announced today that it had recruited Brad Brooks, an eight year Microsoft veteran who had managed the marketing of Windows Vista and Windows 7,” Dilger reports. “In a late 2008 interview with Newsweek Brooks insisted, ‘nobody here looks at Vista as a fiasco,’ and went on to say that 89 percent of users asked Vista said they were satisfied or very satisfied. Microsoft didn’t fire Brooks or ask him to leave however; he took the Juniper job on his on volition.”
Dilger reports, “Brooks’ departure marks the third high profile figure to leave the company this week, joining Johnny Chung Lee, credited with the development of the company’s fast selling Kinect motion sensing add on for Xbox 360, who left for Google, and Matt Miszewski, Microsoft’s general manager of worldwide government, who exited for Salesforce.com. A week ago, Microsoft’s chief executive Steve Ballmer announced plans to replace Bob Muglia, the company’s head of its Servers & Tools Business division. Microsoft also lost Chris Liddell, its chief financial officer, at the end of 2010.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Nothing to see here. Move along. Ballmer is steering the ship and he’ll get replacements soon. We like his strategy. We like it a lot! 
I agree MDN. They are jumping off the Titanic before it hits a iceberg.
“In a late 2008 interview with Newsweek Brooks insisted, ‘nobody here looks at Vista as a fiasco,’ and went on to say that 89 percent of users asked Vista said they were satisfied or very satisfied.
I sure wouldn’t hire anyone comfortable with that level of blatant denial. (Though, perhaps that’s what Juniper was looking for?)
The article mentions visionary – in an article about Microsoft? My suspicion is that these people were all trying to be visionaries and were rebuffed and/or they just figured that the frustration of working on a rudderless ship is no longer worthwhile.
Losing Johnny Lee is a big deal, that guy is genuinely smart, but I think losing Brooks is a net positive for Microsoft, if he’s that delusional.
Rats on a sinking ship! No, bad analogy. Rats would’ve left sooner!
Washington state is sliding downhill fast – MS’s on its way to circling the drain, and Boeing appears to suddenly have forgotten how to design and build new aircraft – see the 787 “Dreamliner,” which is now more than three years late and counting.
Like rats leaving a sinking ship.
Have a nice life (away from Microshaft).
Lol, this company is in for some hurt
Like scientologists fleeing a psycho leader.
Hey Monkey Boy, How u Like me now eh ?
Why stay? Those stock options are stuck in value roughly where they were 10 years ago.
A rat leaving a sinking ship is always a smart rat.
I know two people who like Win 7. One makes his living fixing Windows machines, and the other one is his girlfriend (who, presumably, gets her computer fixed for free…)
These people probably had a deep insight into the company’s future products (and financials, too, maybe).
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So I hazard a guess they must have seen something coming that is not looking good at all – and they want to change ship before it’s too late.
Or it’s all natural attrition.
Who knows.
Re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Hitler in the Bunker
Boeing was taken over by the McDonnell brothers a few years back. Despite retention of the name, the infection goes deep. Headquarters isn’t in Seattle anymore.
For a very long time, being sought after and recruited by Microsoft was a major accomplishment for an executive. It was a company that would spare no expense to attract the highest quality of management talent out there. Conversely, working for Microsoft, nobody in a seniour position would have ever considered leaving.
Times have surely changed, when a seniour Microsoft executive leaves for Salesforce.com (???)!
As for this guy, Brooks, he is in PR. It is his job to parrot nicely w rapped bull$h!t. He doesn’t need to believe in the quality of his product; all he needs to do is (try to) convince others that the product is good. He gave his best and, possibly, just couldn’t stomach continuing to be ‘Baghdad Bob’ for Microsoft…
May Ballmer remain CEO for as long as it takes… *tink*
*hic*
From the article,
(at Microsoft) ” Each individual business division will get a new leader, and revenues will continue to chug along. But, who will be the visionary for the future?”
What I’d like to know; who was Microsoft’s “visionary” of the past?!
@lurker,
Yes, Boeing’s “buyout” of McDonD resulted in a stealth takeover of Boeing by the gang that couldn’t shoot straight. It’s beyond sad to see this icon of commercial aircraft manufacturers turned into the Yugo of the aviation world.
P.a.t.h.e.t.i.c.
tick tick tick…
People who use the phrase “Mass Exodus” don’t know the definition of the word exodus. By definition, exodus means “a mass departure or emigration”, so to say “mass” exodus is a redundancy and sounds as stupid as “big, large”.