Veteran Microsoft Manager Exits Big Tech After Unexpected Layoff
A Microsoft product management director with over two decades at the company was unexpectedly laid off in May, disrupting his retirement plans. The veteran manager now says he’s done with Big Tech entirely and seeking more meaningful work, even at significantly lower pay.
Career Plans Upended by Management Restructuring
Joe Friend, a director of product management who spent more than two decades across three separate stints at Microsoft, reportedly found himself among the thousands of tech workers caught in recent industry-wide layoffs. According to sources familiar with the situation, the 62-year-old manager learned in May that his position had been eliminated as part of broader corporate restructuring efforts.