Microsoft executive leaving firm following misconduct allegations
Danielle Partis
News Editor
Thursday 9th June 2022
Microsoft veteran Alex Kipman has left the company following allegations of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour at work.
According to a report from Business Insider (via Bloomberg), Kipman has been accused of inappropriate behaviour towards colleagues including verbal and sexual harassment, and one instance described as watching "VR porn" at work.
Kipman started working at the firm in 2001, and has led several projects during his tenure, notably as director of Kinect technology. Most recently, he was leading Microsoft's HoloLens division.
In wake of Kipman's departure, the HoloLens division will now be overseen by Panos Panay, chief product officer at Microsoft.
The future of the HoloLens is currently tentative according to two people familiar with it, as Microsoft attempts to secure a contract to produce the headsets with the U.S Army, now valued at $22 billion.
Despite concerns from employees, who wrote in an open letter that they "did not sign up to develop weapons," Microsoft pushed ahead with the decision, which may shortly be abandoned by the Army according to a separate Insider report.
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