Mumbai: Microsoft has appointed Asha Sharma as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft Gaming, placing her at the helm of one of the world’s largest interactive entertainment businesses. She will report directly to Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella.
Sharma joins the role from Instacart, where she served as Chief Operating Officer, and previously held leadership positions at Meta. Her appointment follows a planned leadership transition after longtime gaming chief Phil Spencer decided last year to retire from the company following a 38-year career at Microsoft, including 12 years leading the gaming division.
As part of the leadership reshuffle, Matt Booty will take on the newly created role of Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer, reporting to Sharma. Booty has overseen Microsoft’s game studios through a period of rapid expansion that has brought together Xbox, Bethesda, Activision Blizzard and King under one umbrella.
Today, Microsoft Gaming spans nearly 40 development studios and manages some of the industry’s most valuable franchises, including Halo, The Elder Scrolls, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Candy Crush and Fallout. The division has also broadened its reach across console, PC, mobile and cloud gaming, supported by major acquisitions such as ZeniMax Media, Activision Blizzard and Mojang (Minecraft).
Commenting on the appointments, Nadella said Sharma and Booty together bring the blend of consumer product leadership and deep gaming expertise needed to accelerate Microsoft’s platform innovation and content pipeline. He credited Spencer with transforming Microsoft’s gaming strategy, expanding its scale and strengthening its studio culture, and said he would work closely with Sharma to ensure a smooth transition.
On her elevation, Sharma said she steps into the role with both humility and urgency, noting that gaming is entering a period of rapid change. She emphasised the importance of safeguarding the creative foundations built by Microsoft’s studios while continuing to bring players and creators together around the company’s iconic characters and worlds.
The leadership changes come as Microsoft sharpens its focus on gaming as a cross-platform ecosystem spanning hardware, software, subscriptions and cloud streaming.
