Rajesh Jha, a key Microsoft executive who oversees the company’s most recognizable businesses, is retiring.
Jha runs Experiences and Devices, a major unit within Microsoft responsible for products including Office, Windows, and Teams. He’s one of CEO Satya Nadella’s most influential lieutenants.
Business Insider reported in December that Jha was considering retirement.
Jha is one of Microsoft’s longest-serving executives and rose through the ranks from software engineer to a top executive who led Office through its transition to the cloud-based Microsoft 365 suite of applications and now into the AI era.
Read the memos
Jha’s memo:
Dear Team,
After 35+ years at Microsoft, I am moving into retirement. I will transition out on July 1st and then stay in an advisory role.
Satya and I have been working on succession for some time. I am incredibly confident and excited about the future with Perry Clarke, Charles Lamanna, Pavan Davuluri, and Ryan Roslansky as EVP direct reports to Satya.
I am also excited to announce the promotions of Jeff Teper to EVP, and Sumit Chauhan and Kirk Koenigsbauer to President.
Please join me in congratulating these leaders on this well-deserved recognition.
We’re announcing these top-level changes today, and between now and June, my leadership team and I will work together to finalize the full cascade of details needed in this kind of transition. This includes aligning operating rhythms, decision ownership, and details on the future org structure, all so we’ll be fully aligned and ready to run at the start of FY27. Our intent in taking this approach is to minimize changes and not lose the great momentum we have.
Our priorities around SFI, QEI, and Copilot remain unchanged — let’s keep the intensity here.
I want to add that working with you all over the years, in the service of customers, has been an incredible privilege for me. I am deeply grateful.
Best regards,
Rajesh
Nadella’s memo
Rajesh has been a constant throughout my entire life at Microsoft. From our earliest days working together, I have admired his unwavering commitment to his team, to our customers, to the products we build, and to the company. I have always been struck by his operational rigor, his ability to make the hard strategic calls, lead through the grind, and emerge stronger on the other side. That, to me, is what true leadership looks like.
When I think about 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.
And as we look to the future, the opportunity ahead is expansive. We have the depth of talent, the product ethos, and a clear sense of purpose as a company to ensure our technology advancements accrue to our mission of empowerment.
Rajesh — I am deeply grateful for all you have done for Microsoft and our customers and for all you have taught me personally. On behalf of all of us — Thank You.
Satya
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