Microsoft comms chief Frank X. Shaw announces departure
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Frank X. Shaw, Microsoft's longtime chief communications officer, will leave the company at the end of December after 17 years in the role and nearly three decades working with the tech giant.
Why it matters: Shaw has been a steady presence through enormous changes at Microsoft, helping shape how the company communicates across multiple CEO eras and successive technological shifts.
- "Few people have had a greater influence on Microsoft's voice and reputation," chief marketing officer Takeshi Numoto wrote in a memo to employees seen by Axios.
Zoom in: Shaw told Microsoft's communications team Friday that he had decided "it is time for me to move on and try new things," according to an internal note seen by Axios.
- Microsoft will consider internal and external candidates for the role and has no successor to announce yet.
Thought bubble from Axios' Ina Fried: Shaw has been the steady, consistent voice of Microsoft for decades, first at its outside PR agency and then for many years as head of communications.
The big picture: Shaw has helped elevate communications into a function that influences how the company thinks and makes decisions.
- "For decades, he has been the person communicators look to when technology, business and society intersect," said We. Communications CEO Melissa Waggener Zorkin, who's worked with Shaw at the firm and later as his agency partner.
- "His influence extends far beyond Microsoft through the countless leaders he has mentored, challenged and inspired."
What he's saying: "The art of communications, the technology sector, the world around us, all have gone through massive change and growth," Shaw wrote publicly. "I feel honored to have been a small part of that."
What's next: Shaw will remain at Microsoft through the end of the year and participate in Microsoft's leadership transition, but has yet to announce his next steps.
Editor's note: This story was updated with a statement from We. Communications CEO Melissa Waggener Zorkin.
