Microsoft Chief Communications Officer Frank Shaw to Leave at End of 2026

Microsoft Chief Communications Officer Frank Shaw has announced that he will step down and leave the company at the end of 2026. Microsoft has not yet announced a successor to his position.

Shaw's ties to Microsoft date back to the late 1990s. Before formally joining Microsoft as a vice president in 2009, he handled the Microsoft account at public relations firm Waggener Edstrom, now WE Communications, working on external communications for the Windows and Office product lines.

Since entering Microsoft's headquarters management in 2009, Shaw has served through the handover between two chief executives, Steve Ballmer and Satya Nadella. He took part in and coordinated public communications during Microsoft's transition from its traditional PC desktop software business to an Azure-centered cloud computing business, and he was involved in the public communications strategy for several acquisitions, including LinkedIn, GitHub and Activision Blizzard. The Activision Blizzard deal underwent antitrust review. Within Microsoft, tributes were paid to his work in shaping corporate vision, handling crisis communications and building teams.

In the technology industry and media field, Shaw interacted directly with media professionals and industry analysts on social platforms, responding to rumors about company layoffs, executive changes or product direction, and clarifying the company's position. He was involved in related public communications during the Windows Phone and mobile transition period, as well as during Microsoft's development of a generative artificial intelligence ecosystem and its strategic partnership with OpenAI. Microsoft is currently advancing the rollout of the Copilot ecosystem, restructuring its underlying AI infrastructure and responding to global antitrust scrutiny.