Microsoft reorg: berkowitz out, mcandrews adds duties

Steve Berkowitz, head of Microsoft's Online Services unit, will leave the company as part of a new round of executive director changes affecting the hunt and ad businesses. Under the reorganisation, three executive director including former aQuantive chief exec Brian McAndrews will assume expanded roles.

McAndrews, whose title is SVP of the advertizer and publishing house Solutions, will oversee an enlarged fiefdom probably to include Berkowitz's Digital Advertising Solutions group, according to an internal memo from Platforms and Services Division head Kevin Samuel Johnson obtained by Om Malik. That memo said McAndrews will also assume control of Audience Solutions, which recruits and supports Microsoft's ad syndication partners.

Meanwhile, Satya Nadella, head of the year-old Search and Ad Platform Group, was bumped up to SVP, hunt, Portals, and ad. Nadella will have technology oversight of Microsoft's Live hunt, Microsoft adCenter, and subscription and charge platforms.

third, Bill Veghte was named SVP of the new Online Services and Windows group, run all "end-user business scheme, sales and selling" for the MSN, hunt, Windows Client, and Windows Live businesses. He'll also oversee search selling and Windows Live selling, Johnson wrote to staff.

McAndrews, Nadella and Veghte will all study to Samuel Johnson and jointly run Microsoft's business scheme, sales, selling, and technology efforts for Windows Live, hunt and MSN.

Berkowitz, who joined from Ask.com two years ago, will stay on until Aug to ensure a smooth transition, Microsoft said.