Zune Executive To Leave Microsoft
A Microsoft Corp. executive responsible for its newly launched Zune digital music player will leave the company.
The software maker said the departure of Bryan Lee, a corporate vice president in Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices division, was for personal reasons and “absolutely not” related to sales of the music player, which came out in mid-November to soft reviews.
Zune still lags far behind Apple Inc.’s iPod in the United States. Microsoft’s device captured about 10 percent of the U.S. market for hard-drive-based MP3 players in December, while 85 percent of the market went to iPod, according to research firm NPD Group.
Microsoft has said it expects to sell 1 million units in fiscal year that ends June 30.
Lee, 43, led business development and marketing efforts for the Zune, while J Allard, another corporate vice president, oversaw design and development. Allard will assume Lee’s Zune-related duties, after a transition period of several weeks, Microsoft said.
Lee was hired in 2000 to work on business development for the Xbox video game console and served as the first chief financial officer for the Entertainment and Devices division.
Lee “felt there was never a great time” to leave Microsoft, but that “after reaching this milestone, he’s going to leave the company and pursue other things at this time,” said Molly O’Donnell, a spokeswoman for the division.
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