Former Nokia executive Stephen Elop jumps off his burning platform
Stephen Elop has finally jumped off his burning platform after going from Microsoft to Nokia and then back again.
He is leaving Microsoft, it was announced today, after moving to the tech giant as part of its $7.2bn (£4.58bn) acquisition of Nokia in 2013. He had worked for Microsoft's business division before joining the Finnish company.
“Stephen and I have agreed that now is the right time for him to retire from Microsoft," chief executive Satya Nadella said in a statement. "I regret the loss of leadership that this represents, and look forward to seeing where his next destination will be."
“This change will enable us to deliver better products and services that our customers love at a more rapid pace,” he continued.
When he was chief executive of Nokia in 2011, he sent round a graphic internal memo describing just how close the company was to reaching crisis point. He likened it to an oil rig on fire, forcing workers to jump into the North Sea. Clinging to a "burning platform" only meant certain death, in his opinion.
And now he has clearly feeling the flames. Before Nadella was appointed chief executive of Microsoft, Elop was considered a key contender for leadership of the company.