Microsoft is moving its communications group out of marketing and into its Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs (CELA) organization. Vice chair and president Brad Smith will oversee communications, taking over from chief marketing officer Takeshi Numoto. The change comes as chief communications officer Frank Shaw departs later this year after more than 17 years at the company.
CEO Satya Nadella announced the shift in an internal memo, thanking Shaw and saying the media environment is "increasingly fragmented and noisier than ever." Brent Colburn, VP of global public affairs, will serve as interim communications leader. Nadella said he wants engineers, sellers, and partners to play a bigger part in telling Microsoft's story, a model that The Verge notes resembles how AI startups like OpenAI and Anthropic have researchers lead demos and blogs.
The move places communications under Microsoft's legal and corporate affairs side, where Smith is often the public face of policy and corporate communications. The company is considering both internal and external candidates for a permanent replacement for Shaw. The Verge also connects the shift to Microsoft's push to become one of the top four AI labs, as stated by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman.