Cable veteran Lynne Elander is resigning from Microsoft Corp.’s Microsoft TV effective 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, ultimately as vice president of video-product development.
Elander said Wednesday that 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,” she added.
Elander, 42, said she did not have another job lined up for when she returns to the work force. “It may be cable, and it may be someplace else,” she 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 VP 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 to realize the full potential of our connected entertainment vision.”
Elander won the “Vanguard Award” for young leadership from the National Cable & Telecommunications Association in 2003.
Microsoft TV made some progress in the cable industry while Elander was at the company, including a recent distribution agreement for its interactive program guide and middleware software with Comcast Corp.
