Two VPs Lead Microsoft North America Sales Biz, For Now

In essence, the role has been open for nearly three months.

Right now, Michael Park, corporate vice president of the U.S. Small and Midmarket Solutions & Partners Group (SMS&P), and Jens Winther Moberg, corporate vice president of the U.S. Enterprise and Partner Group, are sharing the position, a Microsoft spokesman said.

Bill Veghte moved over from that role in late February, after the Vista launch, to the Windows Business Unit. Veghte is now responsible for overall business management and strategy for Microsoft's Windows business, including customer and partner relationships

The fact that Park and Moberg are in charge of the company's huge North America sales push, at least on an interim basis, came as a surprise to many customers and partners.

Microsoft is ending its fiscal year and doubtless working on several personnel and leadership issues. For example, Jeff Raikes and Tami Reller are still ostensibly hammering out who will lead the Microsoft Business Solutions' ERP push after Satya Nadella's unexpected move to run a new Search and Ad Platform Group.

A long-time Microsoft partner called CRN saying there was uncertainty about who was running the sales ship. "What's going on with [Bill] Veghte? He had all North American sales, and now is with Windows. He had SMS&P and enterprise, so now who has it? Who's the acting lead?"

As it turned out, those were very good questions.

He and other Microsoft partners say this is a pretty big job to leave open for several months.

But a Microsoft insider said it's no big deal, that the management bench is deep. Perhaps too deep, he added.

"I guess you could argue given the last quarter's numbers that maybe we don't need a VP of North American sales," he quipped.