Key Xbox, Zune execs leaving Microsoft

Microsoft has announced that Robbie Bach, president of the company’s Entertainment and Devices (E&D) Division, and J Allard, senior vice president of Design and Development for E&D, are leaving the company. Bach will remain with the company through the fall to oversee the transition, while Allard will take an official advisory role at the company. Both Bach and Allard were instrumental in the creation and continued development of the Xbox and Zune brands, and through the E&D division also oversaw the company’s mobile phone efforts, including Windows Phone and the KIN project. A recent report claimed that Allard made the decision to leave the company after it decided not to move forward with its Courier dual-screen tablet concept, which Allard had championed.