Top execs leave Microsoft, AMD and Capita

Three high-profile resignations in 24 hours

In the past 24 hours Microsoft, AMD, and Capita have seen top executives step down from their positions.

Robert Muglia, president of Microsoft's server and tools business, is set to leave the company in the summer after chief executive Steve Ballmer decided that the division needed a new leader.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Ballmer took responsibility for the decision yesterday in a letter to employees after conversations with Muglia about "the overall business and what is needed to accelerate growth".

The division Muglia headed up was seen to be performing well, with an operating profit during its fiscal year ended 30 June of $5.49bn (£3.53bn), up 14 per cent on the previous year.

This announcement comes after a string of leadership changes at Microsoft. In the past year Ray Ozzie, chief software architect, Stephen Elop, business division president, and Robbie Bach, devices division president, all left the company.

Microprocessor manufacturer AMD also saw a change in management yesterday as CEO Dirk Meyer handed in his resignation.

The board of directors has appointed senior vice-president and CFO Thomas Seifert as an interim CEO. Seifert joined AMD in 2009.

The company has also launched a CEO search committee, which is being headed up by AMD's chairman of board of directors, Bruce Claflin.

"Dirk became CEO during difficult times. He successfully stabilised AMD while simultaneously concluding strategic initiatives such as the launch of GlobalFoundries. He also helped with the successful settlement of our litigation with Intel, and helped deliver Fusion APUs to the market," said Claflin.

Meanwhile, business process outsourcing company Capita has appointed Vic Gysin and Andy Parker to the group board as joint chief operating officers; the move will see current COO Simon Piling step down.

Piling joined the group board in 2006 and has served as both a joint and sole chief operating officer.

"These changes to the board are being made to support the next stage of our continued growth," said Paul Pinder, chief executive of Capita.