Robert J. Bach
Encyclopedia
Robert J. Bach commonly known as Robbie Bach, was the President of Entertainment & Devices Division at Microsoft
. He led the division that is responsible for the Xbox
, Xbox 360
, Zune
, Windows Games, Windows Mobile
and the Microsoft TV
platform. On May 25, 2010, Robert J. Bach and division chief technology officer James Allard announced their retirement from Microsoft effective in the fall of 2010.
and is the son of a former Schlitz executive. He played competitive tennis at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
where he was a recipient of the prestigious Morehead Scholarship, now known as the Morehead-Cain Scholarship
. After graduating with a degree in economics, he worked at Morgan Stanley
before going on to receive an MBA from Stanford University
. He joined Microsoft in 1988 and has been with the company till 2010. He is married with three children.
.
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
. He led the division that is responsible for the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Zune
Zune
Zune is a digital media brand owned by Microsoft which includes a line of portable media players, a digital media player software for Windows machines, a music subscription service known as a 'Zune Music Pass', music and video streaming for the Xbox 360 via the Zune Software, music, TV and movie...
, Windows Games, Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
and the Microsoft TV
Microsoft TV
Microsoft TV is a division within Microsoft Corporation that develops Smart TV software platforms for use in set top boxes to access programming over a Cable TV network. It provides integrated audio, video and data services over a single network.-UltimateTV:...
platform. On May 25, 2010, Robert J. Bach and division chief technology officer James Allard announced their retirement from Microsoft effective in the fall of 2010.
Biography
Robbie Bach was born in Peoria, IllinoisPeoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
and is the son of a former Schlitz executive. He played competitive tennis at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
where he was a recipient of the prestigious Morehead Scholarship, now known as the Morehead-Cain Scholarship
Morehead-Cain Scholarship
The Morehead-Cain Scholarship was the first merit scholarship program established in the United States, founded at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the first public university in the United States. It is named for its benefactors, John Motley Morehead III and the Gordon and Mary Cain...
. After graduating with a degree in economics, he worked at Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York City serving a diversified group of corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals. Morgan Stanley also operates in 36 countries around the world, with over 600 offices and a workforce of over 60,000....
before going on to receive an MBA from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. He joined Microsoft in 1988 and has been with the company till 2010. He is married with three children.
Microsoft Office
As the top marketing executive in charge of Microsoft Office during the 1990s Bach battled against Corel and Lotus when they had 80% market share to Microsoft's 20%. Microsoft Office suite is now Microsoft's second most profitable product, garnering billions in revenue.Microsoft Europe
From 1990 to 1992, Bach served as the business operations manager for Microsoft Europe, reporting to the president of Microsoft Europe in Paris, where he coordinated business planning and strategy, budgeting, and special projects. He also helped unify Microsoft's once-divided European local units.President, Entertainment & Devices Division
As president of the Entertainment & Devices (E&D) Division at Microsoft Corp., Robbie Bach drives the company's Connected Entertainment vision, offering consumers new and compelling, branded entertainment experiences across music, gaming, video and mobile communications. Bach's responsibilities include guiding software, services and hardware innovation throughout Microsoft's entertainment and mobility platforms, and bringing those solutions to market with retailers and partners. Bach also manages Microsoft's worldwide retail relationships as well as media and entertainment partner relationships.Microsoft titles
- Product Manager (Microsoft Works)
- Business Operations Manager (Europe)
- Vice President of Marketing (Desktop Applications Division)
- Vice President of the Learning (Entertainment and Productivity Division)
- Vice President of the Home and Retail division
- Senior Vice President of Home and Entertainment Division
- President of the Entertainment and Devices Division
Boys and Girls Club
Bach sits on the board of governors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and is the interim chairman of the Entertainment Software AssociationEntertainment Software Association
The Entertainment Software Association is the trade association of the video game industry in the United States. It was formed in April 1994 as the Interactive Digital Software Association and renamed on July 16, 2003...
.