Indian-Origin Asha Sharma to Lead Microsoft Gaming, Replaces Phil Spencer

Microsoft has named Indian-American Asha Sharma as its new Executive Vice President and CEO of Gaming. Sharma is all set to take over from retiring CEO Phil Spencer, who has spent nearly four decades at Microsoft Gaming.

CEO Satya Nadella, announcing the decision, said, "I am very excited about gaming and its role at the center of our consumer ambition, and as we move forward, I am pleased to announce that Asha Sharma will become Executive Vice President and CEO of Microsoft Gaming, reporting to me."

Asha Sharma is an alumnus of the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. According to her LinkedIn profile, she has nearly 15 years of experience in technology, product, and operations leadership roles.

She started her professional journey with Microsoft Corporation back in 2011, where she worked with the marketing team. Two years later, she joined Porch Group as the Chief Operating Officer. She played a vital role in the development of the organization, heading the product, engineering, sales, marketing, and operations teams. She also helped the organization make a successful public debut with a $1B valuation. She worked as the Chief Marketing Officer and a board member for the organization from 2015 to 2022.

In 2017, she joined Meta as Vice President of Product and Engineering. She served as Head of Product for Messenger and Instagram Direct and General Manager of Calling, Video, and Kids Experiences. She previously served as Director of Social Impact Products.

Sharma later served as Chief Operating Officer at Instacart for three years, helping the company reach an IPO and profitability. She was responsible for a GMV P&L of over $30 billion, overseeing product, design, data science, research, marketing, operations, customer support, and new business.

In 2024, she rejoined Microsoft as President, Core AI Products. She led the product portfolio of AI models, applications, agents, responsible AI, and developer tools for customers worldwide. Previously, she served as Corporate Vice President and Head of Product for Microsoft's AI platform.

She has now been promoted to lead Microsoft Gaming, which includes the Xbox business. Sharma also serves as a board member at Coupang and The Home Depot.

Microsoft has undergone an Xbox restructuring. Matt Booty will now become Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer, reporting to Asha Sharma.