Windows veteran Mike Nash to leave Microsoft

A couple of weeks after Windows Senior Vice President Bill Veghte decided to leave Microsoft, another Windows marketing veteran is doing the same.

Mike Nash, Corporate Vice President of Windows Platform Strategy, will be leaving the company in February. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed his departure when I asked. From the e-mailed statement:

"We can confirm that Mike Nash is leaving Microsoft in a couple weeks. In his 19 years, Mike made an impact in number of key roles at the company. We appreciate his service and wish him well."

Update: Nash will be joining Amazon.com to work on the Kindle, I hear. I've asked to see whether Nash will be replaced. No word back yet on that one.... Microsoft officials declined to comment (at least for now) on when and if that will happen.

In his most recent job, Nash was responsible for pieces of Windows business strategy, ecosystem engagement, consumer security, Internet Explorer, and emerging markets, according to his bio on Microsoft's Web site. He rejoined the Windows team, after a six-month sabbatical, in 2007.

Nash also was the first product manager on the original Windows NT marketing team; the Corporate Vice President of the Security Technology Unit; and a driver of a number of Microsoft acquisitions in the security space.

With Nash's departure, all of the top Windows marketing leaders who were part of the Windows Business Group created under Veghte three years ago -- Mike Sievert, Will Poole, Joe Peterson and Nash -- are now gone from the company. With Windows 8 starting to ramp up and Windows President Steven Sinofsky continuing to surround himself with an inner circle of leaders of his own choosing (many of whom were part of the Office division), the changing of the guards isn't too surprising,...