Xbox President Sarah Bond has posted a statement she sent to Xbox staff as she departs from the company after an almost nine-year tenure.
Last night news broke that Xbox CEO Phil Spencer will be retiring from Microsoft, with Bond also departing the company as Asha Sharma – lead of Microsoft's CoreAI product – takes over as CEO of Xbox. When the news broke, statements from Spencer, Sharma, current head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella all emerged online, with Bond notably absent. This, mixed with Bond posting on LinkedIn hours prior to the news of her departure breaking, led to some wondering what happened between Bond and the company.
However, later Bond posted again on LinkedIn and shared a message she sent to the team at Xbox. In the message Bond says, "I know there’s a lot of news to take in today. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together over the past eight-plus years. PC and cloud gaming are growing faster than ever, our next console is well underway, and together we’ve helped lay the foundation for a more open gaming platform that spans devices and reaches players around the world."
She explains that the Microsoft Activision deal had the team taking on "some of the biggest challenges this organization has ever faced" and that "With that, I’ve decided this is the right time for me to take my next step, both personally and professionally."
Bond acknowledges the incoming CEO Sharma, saying, "I’ve had the privilege of spending time with Asha over the last few weeks as we’ve planned for this transition, and I’ve seen firsthand her deep commitment to our players, developers, and brand." She adds, "Xbox deserves this. I’m excited to see her lead this next chapter for our team. I’ll remain on as a Special Advisor to Asha to help ensure a smooth transition and set the organization up for continued success."
Bond doesn't mention what her plans are for the future, however, she thanks Spencer "for his mentorship and friendship over the years," calling him "a consistent champion of this business and the people who make it what it is."
