Related:Comcast Leans Into Wireless

Some big, perhaps surprising, changes are occurring in Comcast’s technology and engineering ranks, led by the coming transition of company executive vice president and chief network officer John Schanz.

He’s taking an advisory role at Atairos, the investment vehicle set up by former Comcast vice chairman and CFO Michael Angelakis last year, which has invested $250 million in e-commerce company GroupOn.

Schanz, a former AOL networking executive who joined Comcast in 2006, has been helming the largest video and broadband network in the pay TV industry, serving 22 million cable customers, 23 million high-speed Internet customers and 11 million voice customers. Under his leadership, Comcast has developed a major content delivery network that underpins a multiscreen video platform for smartphones, tablets and PCs, as well as traditional set-top boxes.

Former Comcast CTO Tony Werner, recently promoted to president, technology and product, will assume Schanz’s responsibilities on the network side. MSO veteran Sree Kotay has succeeded Werner as CTO.

Marcien Jenckes, EVP of consumer services, is taking on Schanz’s duties in ad-technology operations, which includes the recently acquired programmatic ad systems vendor Visible World and online ad specialist FreeWheel.