Microsoft CIO Jim DuBois Departs Amid Reorganization

One high-profile departure in connection with Microsoft's latest reorganization is a longtime executive, Chief Information Officer Jim DuBois.

DuBois will not be returning from a sabbatical as planned, a decision he made at least in part due to the reorganization, according to Geekwire.

[Related: Microsoft Partners Expect More Emphasis On The Channel Following Round Of Layoffs]

The restructuring of Microsoft's sales and marketing teams was initially disclosed earlier this week in a memo to staff. On Thursday, Microsoft acknowledged that a new round of layoffs is underway. The company didn't specify the number of job cuts, but media reports have put the number between 3,000 and 4,000. Microsoft employed 121,000 as of the end of March.

Solution providers told CRN that the moves appear aimed at making the company more partner-centric, amid a push to increase sales of cloud and other fast-growing products.

DuBois had worked for Microsoft since 1993, and held a number of positions over the ensuing two decades, working his way up to being named CIO in May 2013.

Succeeding DuBois is Kurt DelBene, another Microsoft veteran. DelBene, whose title will be chief digital officer rather than CIO, spent two decades at Microsoft before departing in 2013 for a top role overseeing Healthcare.gov. He came back to Microsoft in early 2015 as executive vice president for corporate strategy and planning.

Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The series of recent changes at the company are part of an effort "to better serve our customers and partners," a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement to CRN on Thursday.

As part of the reorganization, Microsoft's sales groups will be divided into two categories – enterprise and small/medium/corporate – while sales teams also will be organized by industry focus and by product category.

Industries covered are manufacturing, retail, education, financial services, government and health. The sales groups will be organized based on which product category they focus on – apps/infrastructure, data/artificial intelligence, business applications and modern workplace.

The reorganization follows strong cloud sales growth during Microsoft's fiscal third quarter, ended March 31. Azure revenue rose 93 percent, while Office 365 revenue grew 45 percent and Dynamics 365 revenue surged 81 percent.