Sarah Bond, the first Black woman to serve as chief operating officer and President of Xbox, is stepping down from her storied position.
Bond announced her departure from the role on LinkedIn, expressing her gratitude toward the company and her colleagues for transforming the world of e-console gaming. The Yale and Harvard Business School alum was first appointed to the position in October 2023, marking a historic first for Black women in executive leadership, especially for a multinational conglomerate.
Bond shared how she felt “incredibly proud” of the new tech advancements made before and within her leadership, including a new console underway.
“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together over the past eight-plus years,” she began the message, re-shared from an internal company email sent earlier. “When we announced our intention to acquire Activision Blizzard in 2022, I committed to helping lead Xbox through what would be a critical period of change. Over the past four years, we’ve navigated that moment together and positioned the business for what comes next. We took on some of the biggest challenges this organization has ever faced and did it as one team.”
During her tenure as president, she led the strategic direction of the company, including its acquisitions to scale its reach across the gaming industry. As the operational lead and face of Xbox, she also helped innovate its product development and marketing strategies to strengthen and grow its consumer base. Owned by Microsoft, Xbox is the tech corporation’s signature gaming brand.
Bond has been a long-time employee under the Xbox-Microsoft umbrella, previously serving as corporate vice president, as reported by Afrotech. She has also championed diversity within the workforce, serving as an executive sponsor of the Blacks @ Microsoft employee resource group.
However, her time with Xbox will evolve as she believes that new leadership should rise in the wake of a new technological era. While another woman in leadership, Asha Sharma, will take over as EVP and CEO of Microsoft Gaming, she hopes to aid her as they thoughtfully integrate AI into their operations. Despite this new development, Xbox remains committed to developing the next level of console gaming.
She continued,” With that, I’ve decided this is the right time for me to take my next step, both personally and professionally. We’re living through a transformative technological era that will shape the next generation of our industry, and I’m energized by what’s ahead. This moment also presents a unique opportunity for fresh eyes and new leadership to guide the team into its next chapter.”
Bond will not completely leave the Xbox community. She will serve as special advisor to help Sharma and their team transition to a new era of leadership.
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