US EditionMicrosoft gaming chief Phil Spencer retires, replaced by ex-Instacart exec Asha Sharma
Asha Sharma, with AI and platform experience, takes over amid a 10% gaming revenue decline and leadership exits to guide Microsoft Gaming's next growth phase.
- On Friday, Asha Sharma will become Executive Vice President and CEO of Microsoft Gaming, replacing Spencer after nearly 40 years, and she said, `Today I begin my role as CEO of Microsoft Gaming.`
- Amid declines in gaming revenue, Microsoft last year initiated succession talks after Spencer told Nadella he was thinking of stepping back.
- As part of the shake-up, Xbox president Sarah Bond will leave, Matt Booty is promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer, and Spencer remains advisory through the summer.
- In a message to staff, Sharma wrote, `We will recommit to our core Xbox fans and players, those who have invested with us for the past 25 years, and to the developers who build the expansive universes and experiences that are embraced by players across the world.` Nadella said, `'Together, Asha and Matt have the right combination of consumer product leadership and gaming depth to push our platform innovation and content pipeline forward.'
- The change follows major strategic bets, including the $75 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition, as Spencer nearly tripled Microsoft's gaming business and led the Mojang takeover.
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87 Articles
In Xbox Reshuffling, Phil Spencer Exiting Microsoft After 38-Year Run; Asha Sharma Promoted To CEO
One of the video game sector’s biggest players is undergoing a management transition. Phil Spencer, who joined Microsoft as an intern in 1988 and has led its Xbox video game unit since 2014, is retiring. Asha Sharma will become EVP and CEO. Matt Booty will become EVP and Chief Content Officer, reporting to Sharma. Xbox […]
Microsoft Gaming Head Phil Spencer to Retire After 38 Years
Microsoft’s head of gaming Phil Spencer is retiring after 38 years with the Xbox parent company. “When I walked through Microsoft’s doors as an intern in June of 1988, I could never have imagined the products I’d help build, the players and customers we’d serve, or the extraordinary teams I’d be lucky enough to join. It’s been an epic ride and truly the privilege of a lifetime,” Spencer said in a memo to staff on Friday. “Last fall, I shared wit…
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