New Delhi: Microsoft is preparing for a major leadership change at one of its most influential divisions. Rajesh Jha, a long-time executive who oversaw the company’s Office and Microsoft 365 ecosystem, has announced his retirement after spending more than three decades at the US tech giant. The move comes at a time when Microsoft is pushing aggressively into generative artificial intelligence across its productivity tools.
Jha has been one of the most visible leaders inside Microsoft’s productivity and collaboration business. His team helped shape products used daily by millions of people across the globe including Word, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint. His exit will take effect on July 1, after which he will stay connected to the company in an advisory role.
A long career that shaped Microsoft’s productivity business
Rajesh Jha spent more than 35 years at Microsoft and led the Experiences and Devices unit that handles Windows software, Surface hardware and Microsoft 365 apps. Over the years he worked on several important Microsoft products.
Earlier in his career he contributed to Microsoft Works and multimedia technologies. Later he helped lead major enterprise tools including:
- Exchange
- SharePoint
- Project
- Outlook
These products later became central to Microsoft’s cloud based productivity ecosystem.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella acknowledged Jha’s role in shaping the company. In a memo to employees, Nadella wrote, “When I think about the pantheon of leaders who have truly shaped this company, Rajesh stands firmly among them.”
Nadella added that Jha’s work helped transform Microsoft into the company it is today.
Leadership reshuffle
The leadership structure inside Microsoft will shift after Jha steps down. Several senior leaders from his Experiences and Devices group will now report directly to Nadella.
Those leaders include:
- LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky
- Pavan Davuluri, who leads Windows and Surface
- Charles Lamanna, president of business and industry Copilot
- Perry Clarke, president of Microsoft 365 Core
Jha told employees that Microsoft plans to keep changes minimal and continue focusing on key priorities.
“Our intent in taking this approach is to minimize changes and not lose the great momentum we have,” Jha wrote in his internal memo.
The announcement arrives during a period of rapid change inside Microsoft. The company recently introduced a new $99 per month Microsoft 365 E7 plan that includes Copilot AI features. Microsoft 365 commercial cloud revenue grew 17 percent in the December quarter and now contributes more than 30 percent of the company’s total revenue.
Inside the company, many engineers still see Jha as a quiet architect of Microsoft’s modern productivity stack.