Microsoft has decided to shift its communications team from marketing into its Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs (CELA) organization. The unexpected move means that Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith will now oversee communications, with the company searching for a replacement for Frank Shaw, chief communications officer, who is stepping down later this year.
As Microsoft grapples with a splintered media field and growing competition from AI firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic, the company has made a change to its leadership. In an internal memo, CEO Satya Nadella thanked Shaw for his service, calling him “a great source of counsel to our leadership team and to me personally, across the company’s biggest moments.”.
Shaw’s Departure After Nearly Three Decades
Shaw announced earlier this month that he is leaving Microsoft after nearly three decades supporting the company’s communications. Nadella’s memo described Shaw’s contributions in warm terms. “He has made tremendous contributions to the company and to our communications function over the last 17+ years,” Nadella wrote. “And he’s been a great source of counsel to our leadership team and to me personally, across the company’s biggest moments.”
A permanent replacement is being sought, with Microsoft examining both people already employed there and outside applicants. Brent Colburn, who holds the position of VP of global public affairs, has been put in charge as interim communications leader while the change takes place.
Smith’s New Role Over Communications
Brad Smith, who takes over communications from chief marketing officer Takeshi Numoto, is often the public face of Microsoft’s policy and corporate communications. He travels the world meeting with governments, regulators, and Microsoft’s customers.
The appointment of Smith places him within CELA, where he already served as vice chair and president. It moves the communications function out of the marketing organization and into CELA, which encompasses legal and external affairs functions.
Nadella’s memo emphasized Smith’s fit for the role. “Few leaders embody Microsoft’s voice as authentically as Brad,” Nadella wrote. “He brings a deep understanding of our business, a strong connection to our stakeholders, and a rare ability to communicate complex ideas with clarity, conviction, and trust.”
The Fragmented Media Environment
Nadella positioned the change as an answer to a shifting media environment, arguing that the move was necessary because of it. “In a media environment that is increasingly fragmented and noisier than ever, we need to continue to be grounded in our mission, earn trust each day, and find new ways to connect directly with all of our constituencies,”
The memo noted that the individuals most engaged with the actual work were the ones best positioned to shape the company’s story. “The people closest to the work have the best opportunity to shape how Microsoft is understood,” Nadella said. “We need to give people across the company the tools and support to do it well.”
The method mirrors how AI startups function. GeekWire observed that researchers at firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic frequently take charge of the demos and blogs. According to Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, the company has been pursuing Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI to “become one of the top four labs in the world,”.
The Transition Team
Smith’s interim communications leader, Colburn, has been named with a defined temporary assignment. Throughout the shift, Colburn will keep his current reporting line to Smith while also serving as interim communications leader. The members of the comms leadership team will report to Colburn during this period, and Shaw will stay on to counsel both Smith and Colburn on how the change unfolds.
The memo outlined the chain of command clearly. “During this transition, Brent Colburn will continue reporting to Brad and will now act as our interim communications leader,” Nadella wrote. “The comms leadership team will report to Brent, and Frank will continue to advise Brad and Brent on the transition.”
A temporary setup keeps the communications function operating without disruption while a permanent replacement is identified. Shaw’s role during the handover is purely advisory.
What This Means for Microsoft’s Storytelling
A move toward a more decentralized approach may change how Microsoft’s story is told, with engineers, sellers, and partners taking on a larger role in the company’s communications strategy.
Nadella’s memo pointed to a shared strategy and set of principles guiding the decentralized approach. “All of you have a critical role to play in making that possible,” he wrote.
This autumn is shaping up to be a busy one for the company, with several significant moments and events on the horizon, backed by strong marketing efforts. Nadella views it as a chance to unite product narrative, marketing, and public relations in fresh approaches.
Key Facts Box
- Shaw’s tenure: Nearly three decades at Microsoft
- Departure timeline: Later this year
- Interim leader: Brent Colburn, VP of global public affairs
- Permanent replacement: Internal and external candidates under consideration
- New reporting structure: Communications moves from marketing into CELA
The Big Picture
CELA is the wider structure that brings together legal and external affairs functions, and communications falls under it. As vice chair and president, Smith now oversees the group.
The position places Smith at the front of a company that has grown to be known for its work in artificial intelligence, and it calls for him to meet with governments, regulators, and customers alike.
What has changed is when people step into public view. Researchers working for AI companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic have started taking on roles that were once held by communications staff alone, and that shift has happened while those firms were growing. Microsoft is now changing its own structure to follow that model.
What to Watch Next
Nobody knows who will take the place permanently yet. The hunt continues, and the firm has offered no word on whether it plans to bring someone in from outside or raise someone up from inside.
The new approach will face its first real test during the fall season, when significant milestones and occasions arrive. The decentralized storytelling model will need to prove itself right away.
The direction has been set, and the team is assembled. Smith will handle communications, Colburn will run the day-to-day operations, and Shaw will sit on the side offering counsel.
That is the plan.
Source material: “Microsoft puts Brad Smith in charge of communications,” The Verge.
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