Rajesh Jha, who led Microsoft’s biggest consumer and business products as executive vice president of the Experiences + Devices group, plans to retire later this year after more than 35 years at the company.
The plan was announced internally Thursday in emails made public by Microsoft.
“When I think about the pantheon of leaders who have truly shaped this company, Rajesh stands firmly among them,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in one of the messages.
Jha, 60, said he will transition out on July 1 and stay on in an advisory role. He said that he and Nadella have been working on succession planning for some time.
As part of the transition, four executives will now report to Nadella: Perry Clarke, Microsoft 365 core infrastructure; Charles Lamanna, business and industry Copilot; Pavan Davuluri, Windows and Devices; and LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky.
Jeff Teper, who leads collaboration apps including SharePoint and Teams, is being promoted to EVP, and Sumit Chauhan and Kirk Koenigsbauer are being promoted to president.
It’s the latest in a series of exits from Microsoft’s senior leadership team. Xbox chief Phil Spencer announced his retirement in February after 38 years at the company, and security leader Charlie Bell shifted from his EVP role to an individual contributor position.
The departures come as Nadella reshapes the company’s leadership structure around a broader group of direct reports, with a focus on AI and Copilot as top priorities.
Jha joined Microsoft in 1990 as a software design engineer and rose through roles overseeing Exchange, SharePoint, and the launch of Office 365 before taking charge of the broader Experiences + Devices group, which encompasses Office, Teams, Windows, Search, and devices. He joined Nadella’s senior leadership team in 2016.
In his message, Nadella praised Jha’s operational discipline and strategic judgment, saying he has been “a constant throughout my entire life at Microsoft.” Nadella said Jha embodies the commitment that helped build and transform the company.
