Microsoft’s Executive Exodus Foreshadows Business Transition

Is there a fire alarm going off at Microsoft’s headquarters? A slew of Microsoft executives have bolted for the exits in recent weeks, most recently Ryan Roslansky, executive vice president of Office apps, who said Thursday he would leave at the end of this year. A day earlier it was Microsoft Science President Peter Lee’s turn. Both follow a bunch of other senior exits over the past few months, most prominently Office and Windows chief Rajesh Jha.

Those exiting are mostly veterans who had been at the company for 15 years or more. Each had their own reasons for leaving, we’d guess—for example, new jobs elsewhere. But it’s likely not a coincidence they’re choosing to leave as Microsoft, like other companies, is having to rethink how it operates to deal with both the opportunities and the threats posed by AI. In this environment, it makes sense that people who have been at Microsoft for years and probably have made a lot of money on the stock (it’s up 1,289% since 2014, according to Koyfin) would decide to get out now while the going is good.