After the initial shock, I can't say as the news surprises me. Philip strikes me more as the techno-geek type of guy, not the genetic-entrepreneur Andre Durand type of guy. This should free him up to do more of what he loves best, while still keeping him in a position of authority. It's similar in some respects to Bill Gates stepping back from the CEO role at Microsoft and becoming chairman and "Chief Software Architect." I recommend keeping an eye on things to see who gets picked as his replacement, but otherwise it's business-as-usual.