Former Xbox COO Helen Chiang disputes claims she was fired over a policy violation

• Helen Chiang has denied leaking confidential information or engaging in misconduct after leaving Microsoft.
• The former Xbox COO said she had no plans to leave Xbox for a competitor.
• Chiang rejected claims that she left because she was passed over for a senior role.

Former Xbox COO Helen Chiang has spoken out following her sudden departure from Microsoft, disputing claims that she was fired for a policy violation.

In a LinkedIn post, Chiang addressed speculation surrounding her exit, saying reports about her departure had created a picture of her that she hardly recognised.

“There has been some speculation about my abrupt departure from Microsoft, including claims that I was ‘fired for a policy violation’. That's not accurate and while I won't turn this into a play-by-play, silence should not be mistaken for agreement," she wrote.

She denied leaking information to the press, saying she had never spoken to journalists outside company-approved interviews. She also rejected claims that she left Xbox to join a competitor, affirming that she had spent two decades at Microsoft and had always intended to continue building the business.

Setting the record straight

Chiang also denied allegations of discrimination, bullying, harassment, insider trading, embezzlement or fraud. She said she stood by both her professional results and the way she had treated colleagues throughout her career.

She also rejected suggestions that she left because she was passed over for a bigger role. While Chiang did not explain the exact circumstances behind her departure, she raised concerns about whether company standards had been applied consistently in her case.

“I believe in fairness, accountability, and holding ourselves to the standards we expect of others," Chiang continued. “Those standards only mean something when they're applied consistently. I have serious concerns about how they were applied in my case, and I believe those concerns deserve to be taken seriously."

“This is not how I ever imagined my story here would end. And it is not the whole story," Chiang concluded.