Cable veteran Lynne Elander resigned from Microsoft Corp.’s Microsoft TV division on Dec. 17.
Before joining Microsoft TV as general manager of marketing in August 2003, Elander worked in marketing positions at Cox Communications Inc. for 15 years.
Elander said she wanted to take a sabbatical for a few months and focus on personal projects.
“It’s been a phenomenal opportunity for me, and I’ve learned something new every day. It’s an incredibly tough decision,” Elander said.
Elander, 42, said she did not have another job lined up, but she may eventually return to cable or another industry. “It may be cable and it may be someplace else,” Elander said, jesting that working in a bookstore or a coffee shop were possibilities.
“We will all miss Lynne’s energy, enthusiasm and deep industry knowledge, but we respect her desire to take some much-needed time off before moving on to the next chapter of her professional life,” Microsoft TV corporate vice president Moshe Lichtman said in a prepared statement.
Lichtman said Microsoft is looking for a new marketing executive to join Microsoft TV and “build on our strong momentum, drive scale and help us realize the full potential of our connected entertainment vision.”
Elander, who was vice president of video product development at Cox, won the Vanguard Award for young leadership from the National Cable & Telecommunications Association in 2003.
