Blair Westlake, corporate VP of Microsoft’s Media and Entertainment Group, has abruptly left the company amid a restructuring.
"Over the last few months Microsoft has been undergoing a large-scale reorganization. As the reorganization has unfolded, it has become clear to me that the organization is moving in a direction that does not fit either my expertise or my skill sets. Therefore, I made the decision to leave Microsoft, after almost 10 years with the company," Westlake said in a statement obtained by Multichannel News. "During that period, I have had the privilege of working with numerous talented and professional people. While I will miss their company and our interaction, I truly believe that this move is in the best interest of all parties concerned. I want to thank my talented and committed team, as well as Yusuf Mehdi, Robbie Bach, Will Poole and Hank Vigil, all of whom had a significant and positive impact on me during my tenure at Microsoft."
As of Wednesday afternoon, Microsoft had yet to comment on who will replace Westlake on either a temporary or permanent basis.
Westlake, who joined Microsoft in 2004, headed up a division that licenses movies and TV shows for Microsoft’s Xbox platforms, including the recently-launched $499 Xbox One. His involvement extended to deals that paved the way for the Xbox platform to support authenticated TV Everywhere apps from partners such as Time Warner Cable, HBO and Verizon Communications.
