Xbox Leadership Shake-Up Brings AI and Growth Veterans to the Forefront
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has restructured the upper management of Microsoft's gaming division, bringing in several leaders with backgrounds in AI and tech growth from companies like OpenAI, Meta, and GitHub to streamline development and shift focus outward toward the community.
Xbox is undergoing a significant leadership overhaul under newly appointed CEO Asha Sharma, who has brought in several high-profile executives with deep roots in artificial intelligence and tech growth sectors. In an internal memo reported by Eurogamer, Sharma pointed to the need for Microsoft's gaming division to move faster, focus outward on the community, and streamline how games and platform features ship. The restructuring aims to tackle internal friction that has slowed down the company in recent years, pivoting toward a more agile operational model.
The newly appointed leadership team features several heavy hitters from the tech industry. Jared Palmer, formerly of CoreAI and GitHub, is joining the technical team, while former GitHub design leader Tim Allen takes charge of Xbox design. Jonathan McKay, previously heading growth for ChatGPT and OpenAI alongside a stint at Meta, steps in as the new head of growth. Meanwhile, Evan Chaki is taking over an engineering team focused on streamlining development, and David Schloss is moving from Instacart to manage the subscription and cloud departments. Alongside these arrivals, long-standing figures like Kevin Gammill and Roanne Sones are shifting out of their current core roles as the division resets.
This leadership pivot comes at a complex time for Xbox as it balances emerging tech integration with practical hardware and service realities. Interestingly, the restructuring coincides with the wind-down of Copilot gaming support development for consoles and mobile, showing a nuanced approach rather than an outright embrace of every generative AI trend. With ongoing discussions around subscription pricing for Game Pass and the hardware demands of the upcoming Xbox Helix console, Sharma's new team has plenty on their plate as they attempt to realign the brand for a cross-platform future.
Original reporting by Connor Makar over at Eurogamer.
Tags: Xbox, Microsoft, Industry News, Artificial Intelligence, Game Pass
Original article: Eurogamer