Microsoft names new Xbox boss

It looks like Microsoft will be appointing former Nokia chief, Stephen Elop, as head of its devices and services division.

That means the guy who led the way for Nokia will now take over the reins for entertainment, games, Xbox and Surface over at Microsoft.

Elop is expected to take over the division once the Microsoft-Nokia deal goes through.

The position was supposed to go to Julie Larson-Green – the leading force behind the design of Windows 8 – but since Microsoft bought Nokia, Elop got to jump the line of succession.

The Microsoft-Nokia deal isn’t quite in the bag yet, but is more than likely to get all approvals needed to seal the deal.

“I’ll remain in (the) role leading the DnS (Devices and Studios) organization in the interim until the Nokia deal closes and Stephen Elop makes his transition to Microsoft,” Larson-Green said in an email to colleagues which was obtained by Reuters.

Elop was previously one of the candidates in the running to take Microsoft’s top job – a position which went to the company’s cloud services head, Satya Nadella.

It was widely reported – citing three “sources” close to Bloomberg – that Elop would have actually considered selling off the Xbox business and re-focus the company around its Office software.

Ironically, he will now be heading up that division.