Rajesh Jha, executive vice president of experiences and devices at Microsoft Corp., speaks at the Microsoft Build event in Seattle, Washington, USA, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. At this event, attendees will be able to develop their skills on topics such as building a co-pilot, generative AI, securing applications, cloud platforms, and low code.
Chona Kassinger | Bloomberg | Getty Images
microsoft Rajesh Jha, the software vendor’s most senior executive in charge of its offices, announced Thursday that he will step down in July after more than 35 years with the company.
Jha’s departure is a significant loss for Microsoft as the company looks to collaborate with and compete with generative artificial intelligence model developers Anthropic and OpenAI, and comes less than a month after Microsoft announced the departure of longtime gaming head Phil Spencer.
Under Jha, Microsoft has incorporated the models of two fast-growing startups into its widely used 365 Copilot add-on for Microsoft 365 commercial subscriptions.
“When I think of the many leaders who have truly shaped this company, Rajesh stands firmly among them,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wrote in a memo. “He embodies the commitment that helped build and transform Microsoft into the company it is today, and we will continue to move forward based on the strength of that foundation.”
Four leaders who have worked in Jha’s experience and devices groups will report to Nadella, Jha said in a memo to employees.
These include LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky, who took on additional responsibility for Office applications and the M365 Copilot AI app last year, and Pavan Davuluri, head of Surface devices and Windows operating systems. Charles Lamanna, president of Business Industry Copilot, will also report to Nadella, as will Perry Clark, president of Microsoft 365 Core.
Jha also said that Jeff Teper, who has been with the company for 34 years and is president of Microsoft 365 collaborative apps and platforms, will become executive vice president. Two other executives at the office, Sumit Chauhan and Kirk Koenigsbauer, will be promoted to president.
“Our intention in taking this approach is to minimize change and preserve the great momentum we have,” Jha wrote in his memo. He said employees need to maintain focus on CoPilot and cybersecurity efforts.
Microsoft 365 commercial cloud revenue increased 17% and accounted for more than 30% of total revenue in the December quarter. The Windows and Devices segment was down slightly, accounting for less than 6% of total revenue.
Microsoft announced Monday that it is releasing a top-tier $99/month Microsoft 365 E7 subscription that includes Copilot.
Before joining one of the company’s largest engineering teams, Jha contributed to Microsoft Works releases and multimedia technologies, and led teams focused on Exchange, SharePoint, Project, and Outlook products, according to his bio at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. According to Jha’s bio from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, where he studied computer science.
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