Microsoft communications chief Frank Shaw is leaving the company after nearly 30 years of shaping its public messaging. Shaw has told his team in an internal note that he has “decided it is time for me to move on and try new things.” Multiple reports describe his departure as the end of a long tenure overseeing how Microsoft communicates externally.
The outlets say Shaw has worked across multiple eras of Microsoft leadership. Fortune reports that he has collaborated with all three of the company’s CEOs—Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Satya Nadella—highlighting his long involvement in major communications efforts across different strategies and product cycles. The Verge similarly notes that Shaw’s communications role spans almost two decades, while also mentioning earlier professional experience supporting communications before his time at Microsoft.
Both accounts frame the move as a personal decision announced internally, with Shaw not citing a specific immediate reason beyond deciding to pursue new opportunities.
