Two more leadership exits take place at Xbox
gamedeveloper.com· 407 words · 3 min read
Two more leadership figures have departed Xbox: VP of partnerships, business development, and marketing, Lori Wright, and general manager of gaming AI at Xbox, Haiyan Zhang.
These departures come a month after Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer retired from the company, alongside Xbox president Sarah Bond's resignation.
Wright and Zhang announced parting ways with the company via their personal LinkedIn profiles.
"What an incredible decade it has been," Wright wrote on Friday. "Thank you Microsoft and #Xbox for all the memories! As I prepare to depart in the coming weeks, I wanted to say a special thanks to the many colleagues, partners, and friends who shaped my journey. I leave with overwhelming gratitude for the adventure of a lifetime. As for what comes next, I'm hoping for a lot of beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and discovering what lies in the space in between."
Wright didn't specify her exact departure date or where she'll be working next. Zhang, however, will be joining Netflix's gaming team, as announced via her LinkedIn.
"After more than a decade at Microsoft, I've decided to step into the next phase of my career, which will take me on a new adventure beyond Microsoft," Zhang wrote on Friday.
"At Microsoft, I felt I had truly found my people: a place where I could belong. I hope I carry forward some small piece of the culture we built together: one of curiosity, acceptance, and inclusion. Thank you all for walking this journey with me, from my early days in Xbox Game Studios, to Microsoft Research, to serving as Gaming Chief of Staff, and more recently working together on this AI revolution. I've loved the adventure."
When Spencer retired in late February, he saw the end of his 38-year tenure at Xbox as a chapter closing. He also voiced excitement for executive Asha Sharma assuming his role.
A few weeks later, the company quietly retired the 'This is an Xbox' campaign, which was pioneered by outgoing Xbox leader Sarah Bond. As The Verge claimed at the time, the strategy and the way it was communicated offended some Xbox employees, who purportedly weren't impressed by the vast pivot away from console.
Regarding the company's future, Xbox committed to placing console hardware at the heart of its business with its next-generation device, codenamed Project Helix. In addition, during a recent interview with Windows Central, Xbox boss Asha Sharma said "the plan's the plan until it's not the plan."