Microsoft Executive Vice President (EVP) for Experiences and Devices, Rajesh Jha, is retiring from Microsoft after more than 35 years at the Redmond grindstone.
Jha announced his retirement yesterday, kicking off yet another round of reorganization at the Windows behemoth. He will move into an “advisory role” from July 1, and Perry Clarke, Charles Lamanna, Pavan Davuluri, and Ryan Roslansky will be direct reports to Microsoft boss Satya Nadella as EVPs.
Windows boss Davuluri is notable for some tone-deaf posts defending Microsoft’s agentic OS push, and Roslansky recently took the reins of Office and Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Jha also announced the promotion of another Microsoft veteran, Jeff Teper, who is responsible for Microsoft 365 Collaborative Apps and Platforms, to EVP. Teper has taken credit for “Creating SharePoint Server,” had a leadership role in Teams, and lists “Innovating with AI in Microsoft 365 Copilot and intelligent agents” in his experiences. Having AI on a CV is essential for making progress within Microsoft these days.
Jha is EVP for Experiences and Devices, which covers Microsoft 365 and Windows. The company’s CEO, Satya Nadella, called him “a constant through my entire life at Microsoft.” Jha’s time at the company began before Windows 3.1 was ushered out the door and encompassed the arrival of Azure, Microsoft 365, and the company’s current obsession with AI and Copilot.
In the message announcing his departure, Jha also urged his colleagues to “keep the intensity” of work on the likes of Copilot.
The announcement comes less than a month after Microsoft announced that Phil Spencer, boss of the company’s gaming division, and the Xbox president, Sarah Bond, would step down from their roles. Spencer has been at Microsoft for nearly 40 years.
The top-level changes are significant, although a few months remain before Jha “transitions out” on July 1.
“Between now and June,” Jha writes, “my leadership team and I will work together to finalize the full cascade of details needed in this kind of transition.
“This includes aligning operating rhythms, decision ownership, and details on the future org structure.”
More changes are therefore on the way as Microsoft reorganizes itself once again.
Reorganization has certainly been a theme at Microsoft over recent years, and Jha’s retirement will trigger fears more layoffs could be on the way. Savage cuts to the company’s headcount continued throughout 2025, something Nadella said was “weighing heavily on me.”
Of the changes that will come from Jha’s departure, he said the plan was to ensure “We’ll be fully aligned and ready to run at the start of FY27.
“Our intent in taking this approach is to minimize changes and not lose the great momentum we have.”
Microsoft staffers will be fervently hoping it is indeed just the changes being minimized, and not the headcount. ®