Microsoft reorganises Xbox gaming and marketing leadership

Following its recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft is reportedly organising its Xbox gaming and marketing leadership. Microsoft will be promoting Matt Booty, to president of its game content and studios according to an internal memo seen by The Verge.

Booty is currently the head of Microsoft Studios and Xbox Game Studios, a role he has held from 2018, according to his LinkedIn page. His expanded role into Microsoft Gaming now includes video game holding company ZeniMax and Fallout publisher Bethesda.

Don't miss: Microsoft acquires Activision Blizzard King for US$69 billion

Microsoft aims to enable Xbox Game Studios and ZeniMax’s development studios to collaborate effectively together, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer reportedly said. 

As part of its leadership shuffle, Sarah Bond, Microsoft’s Xbox corporate vice president, will be promoted to Xbox president. In her new role, Bond will take over the hardware and software platforms of Xbox with responsibilities in strategy, business development and platform engineering to name a few, according to LinkedIn.

With regards to marketing, chief marketing officer Chris Capossela will be stepping down after 32 years at Microsoft.

“The opportunity to spend many years at Microsoft, work with Satya [Nadella] as CEO, and turn the company into a Cloud and AI powerhouse is an amazing gift that I don’t take for granted,” said Capossela on LinkedIn.

Taking over the reins from Capossela is Takeshi Numoto who has been involved in marketing roles in Microsoft since 1997. Numoto first joined Microsoft as part of its windows program management team and managed a variety of office marketing projects before working his way up to executive vice president and commercial chief marketing officer in 2020.

Microsoft is also promoting Yusuf Mehdi to executive vice president, consumer chief marketing officer. Mehdi first joined Microsoft in 1992 where he worked on product management for Internet Explorer and Windows before helping lead Microsoft’s entry into search with Bing.

On its recent acquisition, plans for Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard were originally unveiled in January 2022 and received the approval of the British government after Microsoft agreed to sell streaming rights for Activision's games amidst competition concerns, according to Reuters. The acquisition also reportedly cost US$69 billion.

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