ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Microsoft appoints Asha Sharma as CEO of gaming
Sharma will be replacing Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, who retired from Microsoft decades after joining as an intern in 1988.
-
Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Fri, 20, Feb 2026
- 23:30 EST
- 30
Asha Sharma / Asha Sharma via Linkedin
Along with the Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella, another Indian-origin name would be listed in the highest echelons of Microsoft's leadership as the company announced the appointment of Asha Sharma as the Executive Vice President and CEO of Microsoft Gaming on Feb. 20.
Sharma has been elevated to her new role as Microsoft's head of Xbox when its flagship product celebrates its silver jubilee. With over 500 million monthly active users, Xbox is a top publisher across all platforms, and continues to innovate across gaming hardware, content, and community.
ALSO READ: AI Summit: Microsoft to invest $50 billion to help bring AI to Global South
Sharma first joined Microsoft in 2011 and left after a two-year stint. Decades later, after holding top leadership positions in companies like Porch Group, Instacart, Meta and The Home Depot, she returned to Microsoft in 2024 as President, CoreAI Product.
Addressing Sharma's appointment, Nadella said in a statement, "Over the last two years at Microsoft, and previously as Chief Operating Officer at Instacart and a Vice President at Meta, Asha has helped build and scale services that reach billions of people and support thriving consumer and developer ecosystems."
He continued, "She brings deep experience building and growing platforms, aligning business models to long-term value, and operating at global scale, which will be critical in leading our gaming business into its next era of growth."
Sharma will be replacing Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, who retired from Microsoft decades after joining as an intern in 1988.
Sharma believes that her first job is to understand what works and then protect it.
Highlighting what she plans to do, she said that her first commitment is prioritizing "great games" beloved by players through unforgettable characters, emotional stories, innovative gameplay, and creative risks. Secondly, she wants a "return of Xbox" recommitting to 25-year loyal fans and developers by celebrating console roots while seamlessly expanding across PC, mobile, and cloud.
Lastly, she wishes to shape the "future of play" by inventing new business models and shared platforms around beloved IP, enabling creators and players to craft stories without exploiting assets or flooding with AI-generated content, treating games as human-crafted art enhanced by cutting-edge technology.
Discover more stories on NewIndiaAbroad
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login