07 Nov Violation of company policy seals fate of Microsoft CIO
Redmond, Wash. – Seventeen years with General Electric Co., where he served as CIO for several divisions, esteemed status as a member of CIO Magazine’s top 100 CIOs (2003), and responsibility for the testing of Microsoft software were not enough to prevent Stuart Scott from getting the axe.
Scott, who has served as Microsoft’s corporate vice president and chief information officer since 2005, has been fired by the software giant for violations of company policies. The dismissal came after an internal investigation.
Microsoft provided no further explanation about which company policies were violated, but the abrupt firing has fueled Internet speculation about Scott’s personal life. Whatever policy – most likely human resources – was violated, it was another example of how the software giant handles indiscretions, including those of high achievers or those in prominent positions.
During Scott’s tenure, Microsoft said its IT department was responsible for security, infrastructure, messaging, and business applications for the entire company, including product groups, corporate business groups, and global sales and marketing.
Rob Helm, director of research for Directions on Microsoft, an independent organization that tracks Microsoft, told Forbes.com that the company likely gets rid of employees quickly because “it is a company with deep pockets and it cannot allow potential liabilities to drag on.”
Microsoft said General Manager Shahla Aly and Corporate Vice President Alain Crozier would assume Scott’s duties until a permanent replacement is found.
Related stories
• Ballmer speaks out on convergence, Vista, Google, and Microsoft’s vision
• Tom Still: Microsoft’s purchase of Jellyfish reflects Big Tech’s interest in Wisconsin
• Microsoft buys Jellyfish.com comparative shopping site for $50 million
• Chris Shipley: Picking Vista sure seemed like a good idea at the time
• Wisconsin firms won’t rush to adopt Microsoft Vista