Microsoft confirmed on Thursday that Rajesh Jha, the company's highest-ranking executive overseeing Office products, will retire in July after a distinguished career spanning over 35 years. Jha currently serves as executive vice president of Experiences and Devices. His departure marks a significant leadership transition for the tech giant as it navigates the complex landscape of generative artificial intelligence, competing and collaborating with industry leaders like OpenAI and Anthropic. This announcement follows closely after the recent departure of gaming chief Phil Spencer. Under Jha's stewardship, Microsoft successfully integrated advanced AI models from startup rivals into the Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on, a critical tool for commercial subscriptions. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella honored Jha in a company-wide memo, stating that he stands firmly among the leaders who have shaped the company's history. Nadella emphasized that the foundation Jha helped build will support Microsoft's continued growth. To manage the transition, Jha's Experiences and Devices group will be restructured with four leaders reporting directly to Nadella. This new reporting line includes Ryan Roslansky, the CEO of LinkedIn, who will assume additional oversight of Office applications and the M365 Copilot AI platform. Pavan Davuluri, responsible for Surface devices and the Windows operating system, Charles Lamanna, president of business and industry Copilot, and Perry Clarke, president of Microsoft 365 Core, will also report to the CEO. In addition to these structural changes, Jha announced internal promotions to maintain momentum and minimize disruption. Jeff Teper, a 34-year veteran leading Microsoft 365 collaborative apps and platforms, has been elevated to executive vice president. Furthermore, Sumit Chauhan and Kirk Koenigsbauer, two key Office executives, have been promoted to president titles. In his own memo, Jha urged employees to sustain their focus on Copilot development and cybersecurity initiatives. Financially, Microsoft's commercial cloud business, which Jha oversaw, demonstrated strong growth with a 17% revenue increase in the December quarter, accounting for over 30% of the company's total sales. Conversely, the Windows and Devices segment saw a slight decline, representing less than 6% of total revenue. Highlighting the value of the AI features Jha championed, Microsoft recently announced a new top-tier Microsoft 365 E7 subscription priced at $99 per month, which includes full access to Copilot capabilities. Prior to leading one of the largest engineering teams at Microsoft, Jha contributed to Microsoft Works releases and multimedia technology. He previously led teams responsible for major products including Exchange, SharePoint, Project, and Outlook. A graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Jha's career has been defined by his ability to transform foundational technologies into market-leading solutions.