Rajesh Jha Retires from Microsoft After Over Three Decades

Rajesh Jha, the head of Microsoft’s Experiences and Devices division, has announced his retirement after more than thirty years with the company. Jha managed a variety of significant projects, including the Windows operating system and Microsoft 365 applications like Word and Teams, as well as the Surface hardware range.

As stated in an internal memo sent to Microsoft employees, Jha will officially leave the Experiences + Devices division on July 1, transitioning to an advisory role within the organisation.

During his time at Microsoft, Jha’s group played a vital role in integrating cloud and AI functionalities across the company’s extensive range of productivity tools.

It has been noted that discussions around a succession plan have been underway for some time. In light of Jha’s upcoming retirement, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella remarked that Rajesh has been a constant presence throughout his entire tenure at Microsoft.

Additionally, Microsoft announced several promotions. Jeff Teper will take on the role of executive vice president, while Sumit Chauhan and Kirk Koenigsbauer have been named Presidents.

Jha joined Microsoft in 1990 as a software design engineer and has held various senior roles across multiple products, such as Exchange, SharePoint, and the launch of Office 365. He assumed leadership of the broader Experiences + Devices group and became part of Nadella’s senior leadership team in 2016.

This retirement announcement follows news from last month regarding the retirement of Phil Spencer, who led Microsoft’s gaming division. Asha Sharma has been appointed as the new Executive Vice President and CEO of Microsoft’s gaming unit.

In the lead-up to Microsoft’s next fiscal year, which starts in July, Jha and the leadership team will work to finalise all details regarding the transition.