Former Microsoft executives populate a number of technology companies around the world, which makes sense given the value of the experience gained working at one of the industry’s leading companies. Yesterday, virtualization company Citrix Systems announced that ex-Microsoftie Kriill Tatarinov was appointed as President and CEO.
With 30 years of industry experience, Mr. Tatarinov has a long and successful track record overseeing product strategy and commercial operations in software and services. His background includes leadership positions at Microsoft for 13 years, including most recently serving as Executive Vice President of the Microsoft Business Solutions Division where he doubled revenue, increased profitability, led the division’s transformation to the cloud, and managed the global partner ecosystem. During his tenure at Microsoft, he also served as Corporate Vice President of the Management & Solutions Division where he accelerated product strategy execution, resulting in strong revenue growth. Prior to Microsoft, Mr. Tatarinov was a member of the senior leadership team at BMC, where he served as the Chief Technology Officer, as well as holding product and business development leadership positions.
Tatarinov spent 13 years at Microsoft as Executive Vice President of the Microsoft Business Solutions Division (MBS), where he managed the development sales, marketing, and operations of Microsoft Dynamics. That’s a decent resume for the head job at Citrix, which provides virtual machine solutions to 90% of the Global 500.
He’s clearly excited to get started at Citrix:
“I am honored to join Citrix during this exciting time,” said Mr. Tatarinov. “Citrix is an iconic company with a world-class brand, innovative products, and a large installed base, including 99% of the Global 500. Citrix is a key enabler of digital business. Across every industry and region, the secure delivery of apps and data is a strategic imperative for organizations of all sizes. I look forward to working alongside Citrix’s leaders, talented employees, and dedicated partners around the world to push the boundaries of innovation and create greater value together.”
Watching where Microsoft executives end up after they leave the company can be an interesting pastime. Not only does their time at Microsoft impact the industry in general, but future partnerships can form from the close ties with Microsoft that often follow such migrations. Of course, if the breakup was less than friendly, competition can become even stronger.
