Doug Burgum, senior vice president of the Microsoft Business Solutions group, will assume the newly created role of chairman of MBS - coinciding with the release cycle for Microsoft Dynamics, the new branding for MBS.Beginning immediately, Microsoft said that it would launch a formal search for a successor to Burgum.
In his new position, Burgum will continue to report to Jeff Raikes, president of the Microsoft Business Division, and will partner with Raikes in the executive search for a senior vice president.
In the interim, Burgum will continue to lead the division.
Orlando Ayala will remain chief operating officer of MBS and senior vice president of the Worldwide Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partners Group. The remaining MBS senior leadership team will remain unchanged.
After 23 years of performing the same duties at MBS, Burgum indicated that it was time for a change. For 18 years, he served as president of Great Plains before the company was acquired by Microsoft in late 2000.
In his new role as chairman, Burgum will work directly with business decision-makers, industry influencers, prospects, customers, partners and independent software vendors.
