Microsoft appoints former Best Buy exec to head its Consumer Channels Group

Just days after the close of its Worldwide Partner Conference, Microsoft has appointed Jude Buckley as its new Corporate Vice President of its Consumer Channels Group.

Buckley, who will report directly to Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner, was most recently Chief Commercial Officer of Best Buy, according to a July 21 internal announcement of his appointment. Before that, Buckley was managing director of The Carphone Warehouse in Sweden. Buckley resigned from his Best Buy position in May 2014, saying at that time he planned to pursue other interests.

Microsoft Chief Marketing Officer Chris Capossela had been functioning as the interim head of the Consumer Channels Group. Microsoft created the Consumer Channels Group in 2011 and made Capossela the leader of that group at that time.

Buckley's job will be to help Microsoft hone its sales and marketing activities with OEMs, operators and retail partners.

Last week, in his July 17 e-mail to the worldwide sales marketing and services group (SMSG) about Microsoft's layoffs of 18,000, Turner said SMSG will be focused, going forward on three areas: Selling to businesses, selling to consumers and selling to advertisers.

"This focus and alignment on the customer segmentation we sell to will not change, as it is fundamental to our success," he told employees.

"We have been investing in building a Mobile-first selling capability, by establishing the Consumer Channels Group to strengthen and align the device-selling motion and to expand our impact with OEM, Retail Channel Partners and our Operator Channel, and by extending it with our opening of Microsoft Stores. For commercial customers we have invested in specialist Mobile-first sales capabilities and we are building out our device selling channel," Turner wrote.

Turner told employees Microsoft is planning to cut its reliance on "contingent staff" augmentation by 20 percent year over year. Microsoft is placing further restrictions on its external/contingent staff in the name of protecting its IP and confidential information, as GeekWire noted, citing an internal memo on the topic.