Xbox president Sarah Bond steps down after nearly nine years
Sarah Bond, the president of Xbox, has stepped down from her executive role after nearly nine years at Microsoft’s gaming division, marking a leadership transition during a period of rapid technological change in the industry.
Bond, who became the first Black woman to lead the Xbox platform when she was appointed president in 2023, had overseen strategic direction across engineering, product development and marketing. Her tenure included guiding the business through the pandemic and expanding its focus beyond traditional consoles toward cloud-based and multi-device gaming, part of a wider shift outlined by Microsoft across its Xbox division.
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Read the full reportIn a message announcing her departure, Bond said she was proud of the platform’s progress and its shift toward a broader ecosystem. She pointed to accelerating growth in PC and cloud gaming, development of the next Xbox console and efforts to create a more open platform reaching players globally.
Her leadership also coincided with Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, one of the largest deals in the history of the games industry, which reshaped the company’s position in global gaming.
Bond joined Microsoft in 2016 and rose through senior roles before becoming president. She will remain with the company as a special adviser during the transition. Asha Sharma, previously a senior executive within Microsoft’s artificial intelligence division, is taking over leadership of the gaming business following the retirement of long-time executive Phil Spencer.
The change comes as major gaming companies adapt to cloud infrastructure, subscription services and artificial intelligence, reshaping how games are developed, distributed and played.
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[Image Credit | Gameranx]
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