Last year, Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s Executive Vice President (EVP) for the Gaming division announced his retirement.
Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO at Microsoft, has welcomed Asha Sharma as the new Microsoft Gaming EVP and CEO (Chief Executive Officer), stating:
“I’m excited to share that Asha Sharma will become Executive Vice President and CEO, Microsoft Gaming, reporting to me. Over the last two years at Microsoft, and previously as Chief Operating Officer at Instacart and a Vice President at Meta, Asha has helped build and scale services that reach billions of people and support thriving consumer and developer ecosystems. She brings deep experience building and growing platforms, aligning business models to long-term value, and operating at global scale, which will be critical in leading our gaming business into its next era of growth.”
Matt Booty will become Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer, reporting to Asha. Under Matt’s leadership Microsoft Gaming has grown to span nearly 40 studios across Xbox, Bethesda, Activision Blizzard, and King, which are home to beloved franchises including Halo, The Elder Scrolls, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Candy Crush, and Fallout.
As part of this transition, Sarah Bond has decided to leave Microsoft to begin a new chapter. Sarah was instrumental during a defining period for Xbox, shaping platform strategy, expanding Game Pass and cloud gaming, and supporting new hardware launches.
Nadella continued:
“I want to thank Phil for his extraordinary leadership and partnership. Over 38 years at Microsoft, including 12 years leading Gaming, Phil helped transform what we do and how we do it. He expanded our reach across PC, mobile, and cloud; nearly tripled the size of the business; helped shape our strategy through the acquisitions of Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax, and Minecraft; and strengthened our culture across our studios and platforms. I’ve long admired Phil’s unwavering commitment to players, creators, and his team, and I am personally grateful for his leadership and counsel. He will continue working closely with Asha to ensure a smooth transition.”
Comments from Phil Spencer and Asha Sharma can be found here.
