Jonathan Christensen, one of the key Skype executives, has left the company. A six-year Skype veteran, he spent time in key positions and was a vital bridge for a company that was always in transition. On his LinkedIn profile, he describes himself as an “executive in stealth.” It is not clear what his next move will be. He is highly respected in the IP communications community.
Christensen was the vice president of emerging opportunities at Skype, a division of Microsoft. In that role, he was responsible for getting Skype into new platforms such as Internet televisions and set-top boxes. He was a big champion of Skype’s platform effort. On the eve of the launch of SkypeKit program, he told us, “One of the key pillars of the communications network is that it follows Metcalfe’s Law, and so to date with things like Facetime we’re talking about services with limited support for devices, while our strategy is to be on Android and everyplace else we can.”
Here is Skype’s official statement on Christensen’s departure:
“After six years in key leadership roles with Skype, Jonathan Christensen has left the company to enjoy time with his family and get energized for the next phase of his career. At different periods during his time at Skype, JC has led the Audio/Video, Core Library and Skype Developer Program teams, in addition to overseeing our platform and partner initiatives with consumer electronics manufacturers. Skype wishes him every success in the future.”
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