Kevin Beaumont
This seems weird.. the exec in charge of cybersecurity at Microsoft, Charlie Bell, is being replaced as apparently he wants to be an individual contributor engineer (which I was) rather than an org leader.
https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2026/02/04/updates-in-two-of-our-core-priorities/
Updates in two of our core priorities - The Official Microsoft Blog

Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, posted the below message to employees on Viva Engage this morning. I am excited to share a couple updates in two of our core priorities: security and quality. Hayete Gallot is rejoining Microsoft as Executive Vice President, Security, reporting to me. I’ve also asked Charlie Bell to take on a...

The Official Microsoft Blog
Feb 4 at 5:53pmWeb
Show threadKevin BeaumontFeb 4

I have had people tell me cybersecurity is essentially being taken out of Connect (yearly goal reviews), which was Microsoft's big commitment to Congress as part of Secure Future Initiative.

Brad Smith testified to US Congress everybody had to demonstrate what they'd done for security - but it's been watered down now to the point where it basically doesn't exist any more, I'm told. MS haven't told public about the changes.

It's one to watch, to see if things start to backslide at MS w/ cyber.

Show threadspinnyspinlockFeb 4
@GossiTheDog "Secure Future" being watered down is the mild and completely predictable news I need in these times.
Show threadcubeosFeb 4
@GossiTheDog Bringing Hayete back sounds like Security is moving even more from a technology thing (where Charlie is great) to a product thing (where you need a product EVP that works with her engineering and GTM folks and sales under Judson to make money) As Satya writes, she's great in GTM and Solution Areas. She spent a lot of time in the sales org before, so she knows the business. So security is going to be on the line to bring in revenue.
Show threadMichael WeissFeb 4
@GossiTheDog backslide again, that is. There was a backslide after Windows 7, too.
Show threadtehfishmanFeb 4
@GossiTheDog I for one cannot believe that Satya "Security First" Nadella would lie to the US gobermint like that and instead chase profits the way that Microsoft has always done.
Show threadocdtrekkieFeb 4
@GossiTheDog I mean, I wouldn't want to be "in charge of cybersecurity" at a company bragging about how much of it's code is written by AI now.
Show threadJJFeb 4
@GossiTheDog Maybe he read Woz's biography and said "Wait, you can do that?"
Show threadInterpipes 💙Feb 4
@GossiTheDog is it that strange? Isn’t this just someone who doesn’t want to be a manager
Show threadElisabeth MFeb 4
@GossiTheDog could be a completely personal decision; e.g. trying to reduce stress, realized he enjoyed the other work better, etc
Show threadwaffles 🇨🇦Feb 4
@independentpen @GossiTheDog the only time my work down levels people is when a VP level manager converts to Individual contributor, since it’s incredibly difficult to be successful as an IC at that level 😅
Show threadMichael WeissFeb 4
@independentpen @GossiTheDog becoming a senior manager means giving up a lot of the hands-on work. Many people struggle with that, even if they're good leaders.
Show threadAdrian CockcroftFeb 4
@GossiTheDog Doesn’t sound like Charlie to me. I think he’s on the way out and has one of those bullshit IC roles while they figure out how he vests some stock or whatever. He joined MS to fix security and they either didn’t do what he told them or it didn’t work.
Show thread🆘Bill Cole 🇺🇦Feb 4
@GossiTheDog Waiting with bated breath for the clarification that thanks to AI, no such exec is need. \s