Meet Pavan Davuluri, the IIT-Madras alumnus who is Microsoft's new Chief Product Officer

Tech giant Microsoft has announced a significant leadership change with Pavan Davuluri taking the reins as Corporate Product Chief, succeeding Panos Panay. This transition places Davuluri in a pivotal position, reporting directly to Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella. On the other hand, Panay is moving Amazon to run the unit responsible for the firm's Alexa and Echo products, according to a report by Bloomberg. Panay will be replacing David Limp, the unit's current chief who has said he plans to retire this year. The new move comes just two days ahead of Microsoft's launch event that could see new launches in the Surface line-up. The company will also be sharing its latest AI innovations at the event.

Who is Pavan Davuluri?

Davuluri did his graduation from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras. Following his time at IIT Madras, he pursued a Master of Science degree at the University of Maryland in the United States in 1999.

According to Davuluri's LinkedIn page, he has been a part of Microsoft since the very beginning of his career. He started as a Reliability Component Manager in the year 2001.

Throughout his career journey, Davuluri has held various positions at Microsoft. His most recent role prior to this promotion was as Corporate Vice President, overseeing Windows Silicon and Systems Integration.

Under the new position, Davuluri's mandate is to lead a team focused on developing silicon, systems.

Panos Panay Steps Down

Panos Panay stepped down after nearly two decades of dedicated service to Microsoft, during which he played a pivotal role in the creation of the Surface line of computers and oversaw the launch of the Windows 11 operating system.

Microsoft's strategic move towards integrating generative AI into its wide range of products, including cloud services, search, and productivity software, underscores the company's commitment to advancing technology in an increasingly AI-centric world.

Additionally, Microsoft is set to unveil updates to its Surface lineup and other developments at a "special event" scheduled for September 21.

Also read: Bill Gates vs Elon Musk: Why the Microsoft co-founder thinks Musk's obsession with Mars is 'bizarre'

Also read: Apple, Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft: Which is the highest paying big tech company for engineers