Martin Taylor, the 13-year MSFT vet who was supposed to lead the marketing effort for MSN and Windows Live, has suddenly left the company, according to a Bloomberg report. His departure comes just three months after his promotion to corporate VP; as recently as Monday, he was part of the PR push for the new Windows Live IM although, as Bloomberg notes, he wasn’t available for interviews then.
No link to the full story yet The story is available now. Still no details about the departure. Taylor was considered to be a protege of Steve Ballmer and had a reputation as a problem solver. From the company statement to Bloomberg: “We’ve made the difficult decision to part ways with Martin Taylor but we don’t comment on personnel matters.”
Update:  Joe Wilcox: “Given Martin’s role, yesterday’s Q&A and the way Microsoft departures are typically disclosed, I would characterize his exit as sudden—and unexpected. Most certainly, it’s a blow when any company loses a veteran executive. But, as much as I hate to admit it, anyone can be replaced.”