Better known to most as "Stepto," Stephen Toulouse announced over the weekend his resignation at Microsoft. Toulouse has worked at the company for almost twenty years now, and is primarily known for position as the head of Xbox Live enforcement.
"February 15th 2012 will be my last day at Microsoft," he wrote on his personal blog. "My reasons for leaving are complex and personal, but the parting could not be more amicable. I continue to believe this place makes great technology, and I am absolutely thrilled for the future of Xbox and Xbox Live."
Toulouse also explained that he had been feeling a sense of complacency, which also had a direct impact on his decision to resign. After the 15th, he plans to be with friends and family, then take part in a cruise, but outside of that, no further plans have been made.
Worry not about his enforcement team, though, as Stepto explained, "My team will continue its work as always, there will be no interruption. In the meantime don’t worry, we have top men working on an orderly transition. Top men." For those of you wondering, yes "Top men" is taken from a famous movie, but we'll let you look it up to understand the humor behind it.
Stepto ended his blog post in a humbling way, thanking Microsoft for everything they had done for him. In response, Microsoft stated the following about Toulouse's departure:
After more than 17 years at Microsoft, Stephen Toulouse, the Director of Policy and Enforcement for Xbox Live, has decided to leave the company. We thank Stephen for his years of contributions and wish him all the best. In his absence, the Xbox Live Enforcement Squad will continue their work to help ensure a safer and more secure experience on Xbox Live for our nearly 40 million members.
