Ballmer Confirms Both Allard and Bach Are Leaving Microsoft

156w ago - Microsoft has confirmed to Kotaku (linked above) that both Robbie Bach, the current head of all things entertainment for Microsoft, and J. Allard one of the top men behind the Xbox and Xbox 360, are leaving Microsoft.

In a memo this morning to Microsoft employees obtained by Kotaku, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced that the two were "retiring" from the company.

Ballmer says that after 22 years with Microsoft, Bach, the president, of Microsoft's entertainment and devices division, is leaving Microsoft on a high note.

To quote: "This has been a phenomenal year for E&D overall, and with the coming launches of both Windows Phone 7 and "Project Natal," the rest of the year looks stupendous as well." He will remain with Microsoft until the fall.

"At Microsoft, I've been so fortunate to spend more than two decades of my life working with incredible people and doing amazing things like launching Office, Xbox and Xbox Live, the 'Halo' franchise, Windows Phones, Zune and more," Bach said in a prepared statement.

"I'm at the time in my life where I want to dedicate more time to my family and my nonprofit work, including my work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I have the utmost confidence in Steve, Don and Andy and their ability to see through our mission of bringing extraordinary entertainment and mobility experiences to life for people around the world."

Ballmer also confirmed rumors that J. Allard, the company's chief experience officer and chief technology officer of the entertainment and devices division, is leaving the company after 15 years.

Allard will continue to work as an advisor to Ballmer, "helping incubation efforts, looking at design and UI, and providing a cross-company perspective on these and similar topics."