Microsoft is overhauling its corporate structure by moving its communications function out of the marketing division and placing it under Vice Chair and President Brad Smith. The shift comes as the technology giant prepares for its first Chief Communications Officer (CCO) transition in 17 years.
Leadership and Interim Transition
Following the departure announcement of longtime CCO Frank Shaw earlier this month, Brent Colburn—Microsoft's VP of Global Public Affairs—will step in as the interim communications leader starting next week.
Colburn, who had originally planned to exit the company in October, will stay on through December to manage the transition, though he is not a candidate for the permanent CCO position. Meanwhile, Shaw will step back from his day-to-day responsibilities to act as an advisor to Smith and Colburn. Both the interim leader and the eventual permanent CCO will report directly to Smith.
Strategic Realignment and Corporate Structure
Under the new organizational design, communications will transition out of the marketing organization led by Chief Marketing Officer Takeshi Numoto. Instead, it will fall under Smith’s Corporate, External and Legal Affairs organization, which houses Microsoft's regulatory, legal, public policy, and government relations operations.
Despite the structural shift, CEO Satya Nadella emphasized the importance of maintaining close coordination between communications and marketing. As part of this, Colburn will join Numoto’s leadership team during the transition period.
A Broader Approach to the Public Voice
The restructuring coincides with a push from leadership for employees across the company to take a more active role in Microsoft's public narrative.
"In many ways, the people closest to the work have the best opportunity to shape how Microsoft is understood," Nadella wrote in an internal memo obtained by GeekWire, noting that engineers, partners, and sellers should play a larger role in storytelling. Smith echoed these sentiments, indicating that more employees and executives will likely act as external voices for the company, including on social media channels.
Smith, a Microsoft veteran who joined the company in 1993 and formerly served as general counsel, is already one of its leading external spokespeople—particularly concerning artificial intelligence, public policy, and regulation. He has previously emphasized corporate accountability in building public trust, notably warning at the World Economic Forum in Davos that AI could erode public trust if governments and businesses fail to manage its disruptive impacts.
