Panos Panay, Godfather of the Floor, Leaves Microsoft

Panos Panay, Microsoft’s chief product officer and the individual answerable for improvement of the Floor and Home windows 11, has left the corporate after 19 years. 

Microsoft introduced Panay’s departure on Monday by way of e-mail. Beforehand, he was the pinnacle of the corporate’s Home windows and Units group. 

“Thanks, Panos, in your affect on our merchandise, tradition, firm, and business over the previous twenty years. I am grateful in your management, help, and all you have executed for Microsoft and our clients and companions,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella mentioned in an emailed assertion. 

Panay tweeted Monday about his choice to go away the corporate. 

“After 19 unimaginable years at Microsoft, I’ve determined to show the web page and write the subsequent chapter,” he mentioned. “I am ceaselessly grateful for my time at Microsoft and the wonderful folks I had the distinction to make merchandise with.” 

Though Panay has but to point the place he might be working subsequent, Bloomberg reported Monday that the previous Microsoft govt will head to Amazon to run the division engaged on Alexa and Echo merchandise. 

Amazon did not instantly reply to a request for remark. 

Panay started work on the Floor in 2008. The concept on the time was for Microsoft to have its personal touch-based {hardware} to coincide with the discharge of Home windows 8, which made use of touch-based controls. Since its preliminary launch in 2012, Panay has been the face of the Floor, recurrently presenting the latest iterations at Microsoft occasions. 

Taking up Panay’s duties on the Home windows group is Yusuf Medhi, company vice chairman and client chief advertising officer. 

Panay’s departure comes days earlier than Microsoft’s Sept. 21 occasion, the place the corporate will showcase new merchandise and its newest improvements in synthetic intelligence.