Microsoft's hardware chief changes roles

Microsoft executive Julie Larson-Green announced Monday she is leaving her role as leader of hardware development to lead the My Life & Work team inside the Applications and Services Group.
Larson-Green, who announced the move in an internal memo obtained by GeekWire, also will serve as chief experience officer for the division, which oversees online services such as Bing, Outlook.com, MSN, and SkyDrive. She will report to Qi Lu, who runs the Applications and Services Group.
Before taking over development of hardware such as the Xbox and Surface last July, Larson-Green was tapped to lead all Windows software and hardware engineering upon the sudden departure of Microsoft President Steven Sinofsky in 2012. She also has served as corporate vice president of program management for the Windows client.
The move comes ahead of the imminent return of former Microsoft exec Stephen Elop, the ex-Nokia CEO who is rejoining the software giant as part of its $7.2 billion acquisition of Nokia's devices and services business. Larson-Green is expected to remain chief of the company's Devices & Studios Group until the Nokia deal closes, which is expected to happen this quarter.