Corporate Vice President Mike Ybarra announced that he is leaving Xbox after 20 years with the company. He was originally hired as a systems engineer in 2000. He moved up in the company over the years from director to manager roles working on projects like Windows 7, Xbox Live, and Xbox Game Studios. In 2014, he was promoted to Vice President of program management for Xbox, in 2017 he handled things such as Xbox Live, Xbox Game Pass, and Mixer. He tweeted:
Regarding the announcement of Ybarra’s departure, Microsoft told GamesIndustry.biz “In Mike Ybarra’s 20 years at Microsoft he has had an incredible impact, from shipping multiple editions of Windows to creating AAA games to driving our gaming platform and services. We thank him for his contributions and wish him the best.” Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox had this to say about Mike’s depature:
Mike Ybarra’s departure from Xbox is not the only major depature from a company that has happened this year. In February, Reggie Fils-Aime announced his retirement from Nintendo as the Nintendo of America President. He has been busy since he announced his retirement. Recently, he accepted the Walter Day Life Time Achievement Award from the International Hall of Fame and he joined the Board of Directors of the New York Videogame Critics Circle. Shawn Layden, Chairman of Sony Interactive Worldwide Studios also announced his departure from PlayStation.