Microsoft layoffs will hit its sales, marketing employees in Finland

By Julie Bort

With today's news that Microsoft is cutting another 7,800 jobs, mostly former Nokia employees, it's not surprising that a big chunk of the layoffs will hit in Finland.
Finnish news site YLE reports that Microsoft will lay off more than half its remaining staff in Finland, where Nokia was headquartered.

Microsoft still employs around 3,200 people in Finland. And it was hit hard in the last huge company layoff of 18,000, with some 12,500 were cut from Nokia.

YLE reports that a maximum of 2,300 jobs will be lost in Finland as the company shuts down its operation in the city of Salo, where Microsoft had been manufacturing Lumia phones, and moves work to facilities in Tampere and Espoo.

Cuts will also happen in the sales and marketing teams, reports ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley. This info came via a memo from COO Kevin Turner published by Foley.

Sales is reorganizing, moving the Microsoft Mobile Device Sales (MMDS) into the Consumer Channels Group (CCG) led by Jude Buckley. Chris Weber will continue to lead MMDS team, now reporting to Buckley, Turner said in the memo.

Given Microsoft's recent decision to exit the display advertising business, Turner also announced a re-org of Microsoft's ad sales unit, reiterating what we previously reported, that ad sales leaders Rik van der Kooi and Frank Holland are staying on, but shifting roles.



Turner then warned: (emphasis ours):

We expect that both of these changes will result in difficult headcount reductions in the direct and supporting organizations. There may also be other reductions around the world as we further align our business for success in FY16.



Microsoft hasn't said if layoffs will occur in other business units or job roles, such as engineering. We reached out to Microsoft for comment and will update when we hear back.