Representatives of Microsoft in-game ad subsidiary Massive, Inc have announced that founder and CEO Mitch Davis and president of new media Nichola Longano will be leaving the company as of this month.
No reasons for the departure were given in the release, but Massive did announce that Microsoft employee Cory Van Arsdale would be taking the place of former CEO Davis.
Van Arsdale is noted as having worked for Microsoft for more than twelve years, most recently in the MSN and Online Services Group, where he oversaw business development and partnerships. No replacement for new media president Longano has yet been announced.
Massive was acquired by Microsoft in May of 2006 to not only serve in-game ads to its Xbox Live and Xbox 360 titles, but also to explore how to apply Massive technology in other online environments, such as Windows Live and MSN, and to make it available on the adCenter advertising platform.
Said Davis on his departure, “Pursuing entrepreneurial start-ups has been my passion. Massive is well-positioned in the in-game advertising industry, and I look forward to watching its future growth from outside the company as I move on to pursue new interests outside of Massive and Microsoft. I wish Cory and the team all the best as they go forward."
