Another job for the legal side of the house. Microsoft communications is leaving marketing and will report to Brad Smith, the company’s vice chair and president, whose group handles legal, regulatory and public policy work. The permanent comms chief will report to Smith too, so this is no stopgap.
The timing is funny. Satya Nadella wants engineers, sellers and partners posting more about the company, social media included, under a shared set of principles. Those principles will now come from the people who read every public statement as a future exhibit. Expect careful posts! For in-house lawyers, it’s another data point on how far the top legal job keeps stretching: regulators, courts, policy and now the corporate voice. Next up, the holiday party playlist…
“Somebody has to write those principles, and the org chart now says where they’ll come from. Smith runs Corporate, External and Legal Affairs, known inside the company as CELA.”
Read: Microsoft Wants More Employees Speaking for It. It Just Put Its Top Lawyer in Charge of Comms. at State of Brand