It all started in the second week of January with Microsoft confirming the departure of Bruce Jaffe, Corporate Vice President, Corporate Development. But Jaffe signaled only the beginning of what was to come. It is hard not to look at Jaffe as a trend setter, but the fact of the matter is that lately Microsoft top executives have illustrated an increased tendency to leave the Redmond company.
With Jaffe out to put his own start-up on its feet, the next on the list was Jeff Raikes, President of the Microsoft Business Division.
After Raikes, it was the turn of Charles Fitzgerald, Microsoft's General Manager of Platform Strategy, to leave the company in favor of a start-up.
And then there were four. Microsoft top executives continued to drop like flies with Short, Corporate Vice President for Windows Core.
And of course that in the background, there is the shadow cast by Bill Gates' own imminent departure as of mid 2008. Although with Gates it's a whole deal entirely as his transition plans out of Microsoft were announced as early as 2006.