Microsoft Windows and Surface leader Panos Panay is departing the company after 19 years

Panos Panay, who joined Microsoft in 2004 and has led the Windows and Surface divisions for a number of years, is leaving the company. The Verge has posted an internal email from Microsoft about this sudden and unexpected move

The email stated, in part:

After nearly 20 years at the company, Panos Panay has decided to leave Microsoft. Panos has had an incredible impact on our products and culture as well as the broader devices ecosystem. Under Panos’ leadership, the team created the iconic Surface brand with loved products. More recently, as the leader of Windows, the team has brought amazing services and experiences to hundreds of millions with Windows 11 on innovative devices including those from our OEM partners. He will be missed, and I am personally very grateful for his many contributions over the years. Please join me in wishing him well.

A specific reason for his departure was not revealed.

In his own X (formerly Twitter) post, Panay made his own statement about his departure, saying only that he “decided to turn the page and write the next chapter.”

The

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