Media Headliner: Ward pulls the strings as Microsoft streamlines.(Chris Ward)

Chris Ward is relishing the challenge of smoothly conflating Microsoft's UK ad businesses into one unit, Anne Cassidy says.

Chris Ward remains characteristically unruffled as he ruminates on the task that confronts him. Impressive, when you consider that the Microsoft UK commercial director faces his greatest challenge in his 11 years with the internet behemoth (a career that can't have been without its testing times).

Microsoft has opted to put its clout behind the unstoppable industry charge towards integration as it moves to streamline its sprawling UK commercial operation.

It means Ward is not only looking at a formidable daily tea round as his commercial team swells from 94 to 239, but also the successful merging of Microsoft's myriad advertising businesses into a single unit is resting on his shoulders.

The integration of the division, which rebranded from MDAS to Microsoft Advertising in May, had been on the cards since Microsoft bought up the online ad sales house aQuantive in August last year.

The changes mean that the company's display business and its search business, adCentre, will now operate under the same roof, along with its performance platform, Drive PM, and ad technology provider, Atlas (both part of aQuantive). The fundamental aim is to give agencies and advertisers access to its multiple products through one sales point.

'It's a huge undertaking,' Ward explains. 'We need to get working efficiently and do lots of work on our expanded sales proposition.'