Overview
- Frank X. Shaw announced his departure on Friday, September 11, 2026, and said he will remain at Microsoft through the end of the calendar year.
- Shaw has worked with Microsoft for nearly 29 years and served 17 years as chief communications officer, guiding the company’s messaging through antitrust battles, product controversies, CEO transitions, and major deals such as LinkedIn and Activision Blizzard.
- Microsoft has not named a successor and Shaw said the company is working through next steps and will consider both internal and external candidates.
- Shaw turned the communications group into an AI testbed, documenting use of Copilot and reporting a 2023 internal survey in which 84% of comms and marketing staff said they did not want to return to working without AI.
- His exit follows other recent comms departures, removes a highly visible industry figure (PRWeek named him the most powerful person in PR for 2026), and could change how Microsoft manages crisis response and public narrative going forward.