2 posts and columns on IBM Almaden Research Center

Microsoft Officially Confirms Qi Lu Hired as Digital Chief; McAndrews Out

in News on December 4, 2008 at 1:36 pm PT

Microsoft moved up its announcement of former Yahoo tech star Qi Lu as its digital head. BoomTown reported on the selection this morning. As part of the changes, Microsoft digital ad head Brian McAndrews, who had also wanted the job, is leaving. Here’s the full release.

BoomTown Pick for Microsoft Digital Head: Qi Lu (Yes, the Former Yahoo Search Guru)

in News on November 20, 2008 at 1:01 am PT

Yesterday, BoomTown opined that Microsoft was nearing a decision on who would become the head of its digital efforts. And, according to several sources and some puzzling by me–if the deal can be sealed–I think that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s top choice is former Yahoo tech star Qi Lu. If Ballmer manages to pull off the hire of Lu–on the heels of already grabbing another top Yahoo search exec, Sean Suchter, which I posted on yesterday–the aggressive exec could almost be bypassing a Yahoo search partnership he has long sought by sucking the talent right out of the place instead.