Microsoft has named Asha Sharma as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft Gaming, succeeding Phil Spencer. In her new role, Sharma will oversee the entire gaming business, including Xbox hardware, gaming services, and content development, while guiding the organization through its next phase of growth and technological transformation. She reports directly to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and will work closely with senior leaders across the company. Before taking on the position, Sharma served as President of Microsoft’s CoreAI product division and previously held leadership roles at Meta and Instacart.
In an internal message outlining her priorities, Sharma emphasized a commitment to strengthening the gaming ecosystem and supporting creative teams. She said the company will focus on delivering strong game experiences while expanding how players access gaming across platforms. Sharma wrote that the goal is to create great games, recommit to the Xbox platform and community, and shape the future of gaming. She also stressed the importance of balancing technological innovation with creativity, noting that games should remain “art, crafted by humans.” The leadership change comes at a time when Microsoft continues to expand its gaming portfolio across console, PC, cloud, and subscription services, following major acquisitions and increasing competition in the global gaming industry.