Redmond, Washington — According to sources close to the situation, one of Microsoft’s most distinguished executives announced today that he is leaving the company. “Alex Gounares,” who until today was Microsoft’s corporate vice president for Advertising Research and Development, has been appointed as the chief technology officer of New York-based AOL and will be moving to the East Coast to take the job. The announcement was made internally at Microsoft, and was first reported by All Things Digital.
The news was confirmed with an ex-Microsoft source close to Gounares, who says Microsoft is losing its “best technical brain” and a “great professional” who “works behind the scenes, like any good architect.” He is also an avid sailor who seems to have strong relationships throughout the company.
Gounare’s departure was communicated internally at Microsoft today, where he is corporate vice president of Advertising Research and Development and CTO for the software giant’s Online Services division.
Gounares is possibly best recognized for being Microsoft chairman Bill Gates’s top technology subordinate for three years during the 2000s. Among his numerous responsibilities was to formulate and drive the technical strategy for the company and handpicked papers for Gates’s famous “Think Week,” a biyearly custom dating back to the 1980s in which Gates would sequester himself for seven days to recharge, read papers and books, and brainstorm ideas.
Gounares, known to many as “AlexGo,” joined Microsoft in 1993 as a software developer, after having worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory and several small companies. A 17-year Microsoft veteran, Gounares in his most recent role led engineering for Microsoft’s digital advertising business. Previously, he helped guide the software giant’s overall business direction as corporate vice president for Corporate Strategy, according to his bio on Microsoft’s website.He climbed through the positions in Redmond, handling major products such as Microsoft Office and the Tablet PC operating system (including digital pen and ink technologies).
Sources said he would replace former AOL CTO Ted Cahall, who left AOL in late January. Microsoft on Friday confirmed Gounares’ departure. He also served as chief technology officer of Microsoft’s Online Services Division.