Microsoft reshuffles Xbox leadership as Asha Sharma pushes turnaround

• Asha Sharma said Xbox has become too inward-focused and slow to ship impactful products.
• Former OpenAI, GitHub and Instacart executives are among the new leadership appointments.
• Xbox veteran executives Kevin Gammill and Roanne Sones are stepping away from leadership roles, though the latter will return as an advisor.

Microsoft has confirmed a major leadership shake-up across its Xbox division as newly appointed Xbox CEO Asha Sharma moves to restructure the business.

As reported by CNBC, Sharma said Xbox needs to “evolve” how it operates, adding that the division has become too inward-facing and slow to deliver impact.

“Xbox needs to move faster, deepen our connection with the community, and address friction for both players and developer," said Sharma in a post on X.

“Today, we promoted leaders who helped build Xbox, while also bringing in new voices to help push us forward. This balance is important as we get the business back on track."

Leadership overhaul 

Several new executives joining Xbox are coming from Microsoft’s CoreAI division, where Sharma previously worked. 

Former GitHub and Vercel executive Jared Palmer will oversee product, engineering and developer tools, while former Instacart design lead Tim Allen becomes Xbox’s new head of design.

Former OpenAI and Meta executive Jonathan McKay has also been appointed head of growth, while David Schloss will lead Xbox’s subscription and cloud business.

Meanwhile, Xbox veteran executives corporate VP of gaming ecosystem organisation Kevin Gammill and corporate VP of Xbox devices and ecosystem Roanne Sones are stepping away from leadership roles. Sones will take a leave of absence and is set to return as an advisor for Xbox.

Sharma additionally confirmed Xbox will begin winding down Copilot on mobile and halt development of Copilot on console as part of a broader strategic reset.

“As part of this shift, you’ll see us begin to retire features that don’t align with where we’re headed. We will begin winding down Copilot on mobile and will stop development of Copilot on console," Sharma added.