VMware is losing a trio of top executives that are all set to depart the company as it moves closer to being acquired by Broadcom.

The trio of departing execs include Tom Gillis, who is SVP and GM of VMware’s Networking and Advanced Security Business Group; Mark Lohmeyer, who is SVP and GM of VMware’s Cloud Infrastructure Business Group; and Ajay Patel, who is SVP and GM of Modern Apps at VMware. Gillis has been at VMware for more than four years, having replaced long-time company veteran Jeff Jennings; Lohmeyer has been at the vendor for more than eight years, having joined after a four-year-stint at Cisco; and Patel has been at VMware for more than nine years, having previously been at Oracle.

The moves were first reported by The Wall Street Journal, which cited an internal memo sent to the company by CEO Raghu Raghuram.

VMware tied the moves to the Broadcom’s pending $69 billion acquisition of the vendor, noting the three executives were leaving for “new opportunities.”

“Naturally this is a time of transition for VMware as we execute our multicloud technology strategy and navigate a pending acquisition,” a VMware spokesperson noted in an emailed statement to SDxCentral. “One way we’ve prepared for this transition is by building a deep bench of top talent aligned with our multicloud and [software-as-a-service] transformation objectives.”

The vendor added that it has named four executives to replace the three that are leaving.

Umesh Mahajan, who is currently SVP and GM of VMware’s Networking Security Business Unit, will take over Gillis’ role as lead of the vendor’s Networking and Advanced Security Business Group; Krish Prasad, currently SVP and GM of the vendor’s Cloud Infrastructure Platform, will take over Lohmeyer’s position as head of VMware’s Cloud Infrastructure Business Group; Purnima Padmanabhan, currently SVP and GM of Cloud Management, will take over Patel’s position as head of the vendor’s Modern Apps and Management Business Group; and Jason Rolleston, currently VP Product Management for VMware’s Security Business Unit, will lead that unit.

The moves come as Broadcom’s proposed transaction is being run through various regulatory review processes. Broadcom CEO Hock Tan told investors during the vendor’s most recent earnings call that the deal has already gained approval by regulators in Brazil, Canada, and South Africa, but remains under review by some of the world’s largest markets.

“We anticipate that timeline for the review process would be more extended in other key regions, especially given the size of this transaction,” Tan said, according to a transcript of the call. “Having said that, we’re still confident that this transaction will close and be completed in our fiscal 2023.”

Broadcom’s fiscal 2023 runs through Oct. 31.

VMware shareholders have already approved the deal, however Broadcom does have a $1.5 billion termination fee should the deal fall apart. Former President Donald Trump issued an executive order in 2018 blocking Broadcom’s $117 billion hostile takeover bid of U.S.-based Qualcomm because of security concerns. The executive order stated that the reason for blocking the deal was that there is “credible evidence” that Broadcom, through its control of Qualcomm, might impair U.S. national security.

Broadcom had attempted to quell those concerns by moving its headquarters from Singapore to the U.S.

VMware reported disappointing earnings for its most recent fiscal quarter, though that performance is of little consequence to investors as the vendor’s stock price is basically tied to the approximately $138 per share price Broadcom has on the table to acquire VMware.

Analysts have been sour on the proposed deal, with many concerned Broadcom’s traditional heavy hand post-acquisitions could stymie VMware’s innovation.

“For acquired companies, a Broadcom acquisition sparks fear of price hikes, diminished support, and stunted innovation,” Forrester Senior Analyst Tracy Woo bluntly stated in a report. “At a time when VMware customers need to re-establish confidence in the company’s strategy and innovation plans after beloved ex-CEO Pat Gelsinger’s departure, this would be a notable departure from that course.”

Woo cited Broadcom’s past acquisition “playbook” as a cautious path forward should the deal be completed. She specifically noted Broadcom’s $18.9 billion purchase of CA Technologies in late 2018, and its subsequent acquisition of Symantec for $10.7 billion in 2019.

“Following these purchases, CA and Symantec customers saw massive price hikes, worsening support, and stalled development,” Woo wrote. “Symantec redirected its focus to its biggest resellers and customers. The company largely abandoned its customer base of 100,000 to prioritize its top 2,000.”

Tan in late October put out a blog post attempting to alleviate concerns about the deal. He noted that in recent visits to Broadcom customers, multicloud, cloud-native applications, and pricing have been the three topics “top of mind for customers as it relates to the VMware-Broadcom transaction.”

“Ultimately, what I’ve stressed to them has been straightforward: our customers are and will remain the most important part of our business,” Tan wrote.