Microsoft Expected to Name New CIO Today

Here’s a hint: The CIO Microsoft hired has the same last name as its ex-CIO.

The Deal Architect blog is reporting that Microsoft is going to announce its hire of a new CIO today. According to Vinnie Mirchandani, who writes Deal Architect, Microsoft has recruited Disney‘s CIO, Tony Scott (at left). Mirchandani notes that the software giant seems to be more focused on competitors in the consumer space, such as Nintendo, Apple and Google, so the appointment of an executive from Disney makes some sense in that context.

Microsoft’s appointment of an outsider counters a prediction executive recruiters made in a CIO.com article published after Stuart Scott was fired in November 2007. Sources for that story thought Microsoft would be best served by moving an internal candidate into the CIO role.

More details to come once Microsoft makes the official announcement.

Udpate 1/17/2008, 2:49 PM ET:

Microsoft confirmed that it hired Tony Scott as its new CIO today. According to the press release, Scott, 56, will begin his new job in February. He will report to COO Kevin Turner (as his predecessor Stuart Scott did) and will manage Microsoft’s 4,000 person global IT organization.

Scott has 25 years of IT management experience. Most recently, he served as The Walt Disney Co.’s first SVP and CIO. He led the entertainment and media company through a major IT transformation that included “improving the reliability and effectiveness of the company’s information systems, shifting focus more toward employee enablement and upgrading core IT infrastructure, including data center reliability,” according to the Microsoft press release.

Prior to Disney, Scott served as chief technology officer at General Motors Corp. and vice president of operations at Bristol-Meyers Squibb Co.