LONDON—Paul Fabretti has departed Telefonica to take on a global social media role for Microsoft's consumer apps and services (CAS) division.

Fabretti, who was digital and social media lead at Telefonica, has been named global director of social media for Microsoft CAS, reporting to the unit's general manager for audience marketing, Angie Hill.

He told the Holmes Report that his "main area of focus is to understand how we can deliver even more effective, data-driven and meaningful social media communications to our customers – to ultimately help make their lives even more productive."

Microsoft's CAS division includes such brands as Skype, Xbox, Outlook and Bing. "We’re privileged that on household names like Skype, we have some of the largest social properties on the web, but recognise we need to develop and constantly evolve the role social plays in helping customers whilst still achieving our commercial goals, especially in the face of such a dynamic marketing environment," said Fabretti.
 
Fabretti joins Microsoft after spending two years at Telefonica, which he joined in late 2012 from Brazen PR. He noted that "the chance to relocate to the heart of Silicon Valley was an opportunity that was too good to miss."
 
"The dynamic environment in which we operate also presents some truly exciting opportunities about how we go to market, which is why innovation in our communications is key to our plans for the next year," added Fabretti.

"Likewise, expanding the role that our hugely successful influencer initiatives like Moment Makers brings, opens up a whole new way of reaching people who love Skype but also provides us with another dimension to supporting wider broadcast or digital initiatives — not only for Skype, for other consumer-facing brands within the business."