Doug Burgum, the executive behind Microsoft"s business software unit, will leave the company next year.
Burgum, who relinquished day-to-day operations of the Microsoft Business Solutions unit in November, will be succeeded by Satya Nadella, a 14-year veteran of the company, Microsoft announced Tuesday.
Burgum will leave Microsoft at the conclusion of the company"s fiscal year in June 2007. In November 2005, Microsoft said he would continue as chairman of the business solutions unit. However, on Tuesday, Burgum said a number of factors, including the difficulties of running the unit from a remote location, contributed to his decision to leave. Burgum is based in Fargo, N.D.
Burgum came to Microsoft through the acquisition of Great Plains Software in 2001. The Microsoft Business Solutions unit consists of a number of different products that company has gotten through its acquisition of Navision, Great Plains Software, Solomon and Axapta. Microsoft recently announced plans to unite the products under the "Dynamics" brand name.
Nadella, who will be replacing Burgum, had been running research and development in the company"s business solutions unit. Previously, he helped develop Microsoft"s online commerce software and Biztalk server products.