Following last month's meeting between Xbox head Phil Spencer and his expected successor Sarah Bond...Both announced their departureFollowing this, Microsoft's top management underwent another major personnel change. Rajesh Jha, head of Microsoft's Experiences + Devices division, announced that he will officially retire on July 1st of this year, ending his more than 35-year career at Microsoft. The core businesses he oversaw, including Windows, Office, and Microsoft Teams, will no longer be managed by a single successor. Instead, authority will be delegated to four new executive vice presidents, who will report directly to CEO Satya Nadella.
A 35-year veteran retires after achieving great success; will become an advisor in July.
Rajesh Jha has served at Microsoft for over 35 years, during which time he oversaw some of the company's most important cash cows, including the Windows operating system, Office software, and the Microsoft Teams collaboration platform. In a press release, he emotionally stated that having such a long career at Microsoft was "an incredible privilege" for him.
He revealed that he and CEO Satya Nadella had been planning the succession for some time. Rajesh Jha is expected to officially step down from his current position on July 1, after which he will assume the role of a consultant to ensure a smooth transition of business operations.
Breaking away from centralized authority, four key figures were promoted to executive vice presidents and now report directly to the CEO.
The most noteworthy aspect of this personnel change is that Microsoft did not seek a single senior executive to fill Rajesh Jha's vacancy. Instead, Microsoft chose to break up his large team, promoting four core members to executive vice president positions, with each reporting directly to Satya Nadella.
• Ryan Roslansky:He will serve as Executive Vice President of Office, while continuing to serve as CEO of LinkedIn.
• Pavan Davuluri:As President of Windows and Surface, he continued to lead the development of Microsoft's operating systems and hardware.
• Charles Lamanna:He served as President of Business and Industry Copilot (BIC), leading Microsoft's strategic promotion of AI applications in the enterprise sector.
• Perry Clarke:He served as the head of Microsoft 365 Core, solidifying the core of cloud productivity.
Satya Nadella praised it highly: shaping Microsoft's "constant presence".
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella offered high praise for the departure of his longtime comrade.
In his statement, he said, "When I look back at the hall of fame of the leaders who have truly shaped this company, Rajesh Jha definitely has a place." Satya Nadella emphasized that Rajesh Jha has been a "constant presence" throughout his own Microsoft career, fully embodying the commitment to helping Microsoft build and transform into what it is today, and that Microsoft will continue to move forward on this solid foundation.
