Microsoft announced a major leadership transition as Rajesh Jha, executive vice president of the company’s Experiences + Devices group, plans to retire after more than 35 years at the software giant.
Jha, who has overseen key products including Windows, Microsoft 365, and the company’s Copilot initiatives, said he will transition out of his role on July 1 and then remain involved in an advisory capacity. The announcement was shared internally with employees and later published on Microsoft’s official blog.
Instead of naming a direct replacement, Microsoft is restructuring the leadership team. Several executives will now report directly to CEO Satya Nadella as executive vice presidents. These include Perry Clarke, Charles Lamanna, Pavan Davuluri, and Ryan Roslansky.
The company also announced additional promotions as part of the transition, including Jeff Teper to executive vice president and Sumit Chauhan and Kirk Koenigsbauer to president.
Microsoft said the transition will unfold over the coming months, with Jha and his leadership team working to finalize the broader organizational structure before the start of the company’s fiscal year 2027. The changes are designed to streamline leadership oversight while maintaining momentum around key initiatives.
Jha emphasized that Microsoft’s priorities around the Secure Future Initiative, the Quality Engineering Initiative, and Copilot will remain unchanged during the transition. Leadership teams will align operational structures and decision-making responsibilities in the months ahead.
Nadella praised Jha’s long tenure and impact on the company, highlighting his role in shaping Microsoft’s products and strategy over the decades.
Jha joined Microsoft in the late 1980s and played a significant role in the evolution of the company’s productivity platforms and enterprise offerings, including helping guide the transition of Office to cloud-based services.
The restructuring reflects Microsoft’s broader push to position its AI and productivity platforms more tightly under Nadella’s leadership as the company continues to invest heavily in Copilot and cloud-powered services.
