Rajesh Jha, executive vice president of Microsoft’s experiences and devices group, is leaving after more than 35 years at the software company. Jha was a key member of the team that helped move Microsoft’s Office suite to the cloud and most recently oversaw Microsoft 365 Copilot, Windows, Office and more.
“After 35+ years at Microsoft, I am transitioning into retirement,” Jha said in an internal memo. “I will be stepping down on July 1st and will continue in an advisory role thereafter.” Jha is leaving at the end of June, but Microsoft is not promoting anyone to replace Jha directly. Instead, it is promoting four executive vice presidents, who will report directly to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
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These vice presidents are Windows and Surface head Pavan Davuluri, Office head and LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky, business and industry Copilot (BIC) head Charles Lamanna, and Microsoft 365 Core president Perry Clarke.
“Rajesh has been a constant throughout my life at Microsoft,” Nadella said in a memo to employees. “When I think of the pantheon of leaders who have truly shaped this company, Rajesh stands firmly among them. He embodies the commitment that helped build and transform Microsoft into the company it is today, and it is on the strength of that foundation that we will continue to move forward.”
Microsoft: Rajesh Jha Resigns – Leadership Changes
Jha's departure is the latest change in the teams that manage products like Office and Windows. Microsoft promoted LinkedIn chief Ryan Roslansky to lead Office last year, and Windows chief Pavan Davuluri was also promoted to president of Windows and devices. Satya Nadella also named a new CEO for the company's commercial business last year.
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Judson Althoff now runs Microsoft's larger businesses, allowing Nadella to focus on more technical work.
This latest reshuffle looks like another smoothing of Microsoft's upper management, allowing leaders of Windows, Office, and other products to report directly to Nadella. Jha says that Microsoft's priorities "around the Secure Future Initiative, the Quality Engineering Initiative, and Copilot remain unchanged," and that full details on the new organizational structure will be shared between now and the end of June.
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News of Jha's retirement comes just weeks after Microsoft announced the retirement of former Xbox chief Phil Spencer . Spencer is leaving Microsoft after nearly 40 years, and Asha Sharma is the new CEO of Microsoft Gaming. Spencer will remain in an advisory role through the summer to support the transition.
