Joe Belfiore has been one of the biggest forces behind Windows Phone at Microsoft over the past several years, and more recently he has helped to lead the development of Windows 10 as the Corporate Vice President for the company's Operating Systems Group. Belfiore has revealed he will be taking some time off from Microsoft, but promised he will be back at work sometime in the summer of 2016.

As he explained on his personal Facebook page, Belfiore wants to spend more time with his family. That will begin in November with a trip to see the northeast US before he, his kids and over 600 other students take a trip around the world in a "Semester at Sea" excursion beginning in January. He states:

"We think a floating college campus will be an amazing environment for everyone in our family to get a chance to see and experience the diversity all around the world and better appreciate what we have here. We've coveted the opportunity to spend a lot of time with each other and our kids—and we're taking advantage of it while we can!" "As for me and my job… when the trip is over, I'll be right back at it! I'm proud to have spent the last 25 years working for a thoughtful and considerate company here at Microsoft. It's a company and community whose values align with mine and whose management has been completely supportive of me and my family in pursuing this idea."

Belfiore added he will continue to work on the Windows platform when he returns to his Microsoft in the summer.

Source: Joe Belfiore (Facebook)