Asha Sharma named CEO of Microsoft Gaming as Phil Spencer retires

Phil Spencer, the longtime head of Microsoft’s gaming business, is retiring. Microsoft named Asha Sharma, an executive in its CoreAI group, as Spencer’s replacement; she will become executive vice president and CEO of Microsoft Gaming, reporting directly to Satya Nadella.

Xbox’s president and chief operations officer, Sarah Bond, is leaving during the transition, and Matt Booty has been promoted to executive vice president and chief content officer, reporting to Sharma. Nadella praised Spencer’s impact, noting "over 38 years at Microsoft, including 12 years leading Gaming," and saying Spencer expanded the business across PC, mobile, and cloud, nearly tripled its size, helped shape strategy through the acquisitions of Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax, and Minecraft, and strengthened studio culture.

Spencer will continue working closely with Asha to ensure a smooth transition, and he said he will remain in an advisory role through the summer. Sharma joined Microsoft in 2024 and has worked in the CoreAI group under Jay Parikh.

asha sharma, phil spencer, microsoft gaming, satya nadella, sarah bond, matt booty, coreai, xbox, activision blizzard, zenimax