Microsoft external PR chief to get a blue badge

Microsoft's newest Corporate Vice President, who picks up his blue employee badge at the end of August, will be someone very familiar with the inner workings of the company.

Frank Shaw, who currently heads the Microsoft account at PR agency Waggener Edstrom, will become the company's new Corporate Vice President of Corporate Communications. Shaw noted his new role in a post on July 28 on his personal blog. (As he acknowledged, he buried the lead -- it's down toward the end of his post.) Shaw will report to Mich Matthews, Senior Vice President of the Microsoft Central Marketing Group.

Shaw is replacing Simon Sproule, who became Corporate Vice President of Corporate Communications in March of this year. (Sproule replaced Larry Cohen, who left Microsoft to become Chairman Bill Gates' Chief of Staff.)

Sproule is joining the Renault-Nissan Aliance in Paris in a new role, according to Microsoft representatives. Shaw's role will be filled temporarily by Pam Edstrom (yes, that Edstrom, as in Waggener-Edstrom).

Shaw is expected to be doing what the Corporate VP of Corp Communications usually does at Microsoft: handling  Microsoft’s communications strategies worldwide, including planning and execution, public affairs, media relations, executive communications, employee communications and global agency management.

Shaw takes on his new job right in time for Microsoft's big fall 2009 launch season. Microsoft will be rolling out Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, the Zune HD, new Windows Mobile releases and more, in the coming months.

Update: Here's the official Waggener statement on Shaw's departure from the agency.