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AOL Hires Microsoft Exec as CTO

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It’s no secret that the once-mighty AOL has been struggling: once the apparently kind of all media, the company found itself cast aside from Time Warner last year, the company has been trying to cut costs and has put social networking service Bebo on the auction block…or perhaps the chopping block. But AOL is still struggling: the company’s first quarter revenues were down 23 percent compared to a year ago, and industry watchers are hinting AOL’s grace period to find its footing as its own company might be coming to an end.

Now, former Microsoft exec Alex Gounares is stepping into the fray as AOL’s new chief technology officer, as well as a member of AOL’s Global Executive Operating Committee. Gounares will be in charge of all AOL’s platform development, technology strategy, and partnerships with other technology companies, as well as having a hand in steering the overall company. Prior to joining AOL, Gounares was a 17-year Microsoft veteran, most recently as a corporate VP and CTO of Microsoft’s Online Services Division, including things like Bing search, Virtual Earth, MSN, and Microsoft’s worldwide advertising platform. Before that, he was a technology advisor to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, as well as a tech innovator: AOL says he has more than 100 patents filed and pending. Oh, and he’s just 37 years old.

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“I’m delighted to welcome Alex to AOL’s global leadership team. Alex is a world-class technologist and he has proven leadership experience in the development of global consumer and business platforms for the Internet,” said AOL CEO Tim Armstrong, in a statement. “Alex brings deep experience in our strategy areas, as well as meaningful experience in strategy and corporate operations.”

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Gounares is certainly a high-profile “get” for AOL, and his confidence in the company may buoy AOL’s outlook for a time. However, the bottom line is still that AOL needs to turn around its revenue situation…and find some way to do it that doesn’t involve fire-sales of outfits it acquired over the years.

AOL also announced Julie M. Jacobs will be taking over as AOL’s general counsel and executive vice president; Jacobs is an AOL vet who’s been with the company since 2000, and played a key role in spinning the company away from Time Warner.

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