Microsoft is restructuring its communications function, moving the team from its marketing organization to the corporate, external and legal affairs group led by Vice Chair and President Brad Smith. The change was outlined in internal memos from Smith and CEO Satya Nadella.
The company is also planning a broader role for employees and executives in its public communications. Nadella said engineers, sales teams, partners and other employees who work closely with products and customers should have a larger role in explaining Microsoft’s work.
“We will likely have more employees and executives acting as part of Microsoft’s public voice, including on social media,” Smith wrote in his memo.
Nadella said Microsoft is responding to a media environment that became ‘increasingly fragmented and noisier than ever.’ He added that people closest to the company’s work can help shape how Microsoft is understood.
The CEO emphasized that Microsoft wants employees working close to its products and customers to become a bigger part of its storytelling. He also said their communication should follow a shared strategy and set of principles.
Nadella added, “We will learn, we will experiment, and we will evolve. There is a fundamentally new way to think about communications, and this team will be central to building it.”
The communications team will continue coordinating with marketing under the new structure. Smith’s organization also oversees Microsoft’s legal, regulatory and public policy work. Nadella described Smith as a leader who ‘embodies Microsoft’s voice’ and praised his ability to explain complex ideas clearly.
The restructuring comes as longtime communications chief Frank X. Shaw prepares to leave Microsoft at the end of the year. Shaw announced his departure earlier in September after more than two decades with the company.
Under the new arrangement, Shaw will step away from his current communications responsibilities. He will serve as an adviser to Smith and interim communications leader Brent Colburn during the transition.
Microsoft said Shaw will continue with the company through the end of 2026. Nadella thanked him for his contributions to Microsoft’s communications function and leadership team. Smith also acknowledged Shaw’s long service and said his impact on Microsoft’s communications team would continue to be felt.
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