Vamos Pure Gold Say Headhunters After He Quits Microsoft

Head hunters in Australia are set to grovel at the prospect of getting their hands on Australian high-flier Steve Vamos who this week resigned as US-based vice-president of Microsoft’s online services group. “I can confirm that Steve has resigned and will leave the company at the end of September,” a company spokesman told CDN yesterday.

A Sydney head hunter said” He is pure gold. Right now there is a shortgage of good management people. Vamos has a brilliant track record and we know of several positions that he would slot into easily. There is speculation that he already has a job lined up running a major Company but we have to wait and see.”

Vamos who went from running Microsoft Australia 12 months ago to heading the international online services business at the corporate HQ in Redmond will return to Australia for personal reasons, according to an Australian IT report. His group is said to have been restructured to create a new division known as “Consumer And Online International” from July.

Darren Huston, who formerly ran Microsoft Japan, will head the new division, effectively replacing Vamos, insiders say.

Vamos was responsible for Microsoft’s online portal and services businesses outside the US and told journalists two weeks ago that global online advertising revenues would double in three to five years as search, classified, display and video advertising formats merged. “I am responsible for at least 80 per cent of our online revenues,” Vamos said.

Over the past decade Vamos has moved from being MD of Apple Australia, and later VP of Apple Asia, to run Microsoft/PBL’s Ninemsn joint venture, followed by a promotion to MD at Microsoft Australia. Before his move to Apple in 1994, Vamos had been GM of IBM Australia’s PC business.