Corporate Vice President Brad Anderson is leaving Microsoft for Qualtrics
Brad Anderson, corporate vice president of Commercial Management Experiences and a nearly 18-year Microsoft veteran, is leaving the company. Anderson is one of Microsoft's higher-level Windows/Microsoft 365 execs, handling Windows management and security of PCs and mobile devices, as well as the deployment of Microsoft 365 services by businesses. He is moving back to his home state of Utah and joining Qualtrics as President of Products & Services.
Anderson posted about his decision to leave on Jan. 11 on LinkedIn. I'm hearing he will be replaced by Harv Bhela, the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft 365 Security and Compliance -- and another Microsoft veteran (nearly 24 years).
According to Anderson's LinkedIn page, the number of commercial (business) Windows 10 users is more than 100 million monthly daily active users. Office 365 monthly active users are up more than 40 million per year. And ConfigMgr and Intune management products' monthly active users is more than 150 million.
Anderson joined Microsoft from Novell. He started his Microsoft career in System Center and focused heavily on building out ConfigMgr. He's also known for his regular "Shiproom" series of video-casts -- where he interviews people in the Microsoft community about IT issues (and anything else that strikes his fancy). I had a chance last year to do a "Reverse Shiproom" interview with Anderson on Petri.com.
Anderson's not the only former Microsoft exec to go to Qualtrics. Former Windows and Office exec Julie Larson-Green, who left Microsoft in 2017, joined Qualtrics as Chief Experience Officer. And Qualtrics CEO Zig Serafin also is a former Softie, having held various roles in Office 365, unified communications and other product areas, for 17 years.
I asked Microsoft when Anderson will officially leave and Bhela take over. No word back so far.
SAP filed for an IPO for its Utah-based Qualtrics experience management subsidiary at the very end of 2020.