Microsoft Promotes Sales Chief Althoff To Help Free Up Nadella

Microsoft Corp. is giving its longtime sales chief oversight of marketing and operations in a reorganization designed to free up Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella and his engineering leaders to devote more time to technical work. 

Judson Althoff will become CEO of Microsoft’s commercial business, Nadella said in an email to employees on Wednesday. Takeshi Numoto, Microsoft’s chief marketing officer, will join the new organization. Althoff will also get responsibility for the company’s operations organization. 

The moves will let Nadella focus on the company’s massive data center buildout, artificial intelligence and product innovation, he said in his email. 

Previously executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Althoff joined Microsoft in 2013. Earlier in his career, he held senior sales roles at Oracle Corp. and EMC. He recently returned from an eight-week sabbatical.