Former Xbox President and Chief Operating Officer Sarah Bond has shared a parting statement with colleagues and fans after she announced that she would be stepping down from her roles alongside Phil Spencer, who is also departing from the company. Xbox and Microsoft Gaming will be undergoing their first major C-suite shift in some time, with Asha Sharma taking up the mantle of CEO at Microsoft Gaming and a dual role of Executive Vice President with Matt Booty, and the latter will also be serving as the newly appointed Chief Content Officer at Xbox. Despite the unexpected executive shifts, Sarah Bond’s departure comments have shared an optimistic outlook for the future of Xbox and words of support for the new leaders who will be forging the future of Microsoft Gaming.
Sarah Bond first joined Microsoft in 2017 to assist with gaming business partnerships and would eventually climb the ranks and be promoted to President of Xbox in 2023, working alongside then-CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer. Xbox saw a number of massive changes in its approach to both hardware and services during Bond’s tenure, with more recent years seeing a strong focus on changes to Xbox Game Pass, a corporate shift away from console exclusivity, and major deals like the Activision-Blizzard acquisition in 2022. Sarah Bond helped lead Xbox through the trials and tribulations following that Activision-Blizzard deal and helped the company to overcome various challenges. As Bond prepares to leave Microsoft and Xbox, the outgoing president has shared a reflective look at what she and her team accomplished under her leadership, along with an encouraging outlook on Asha Sharma and the new direction for Microsoft Gaming.
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Former Xbox President Sarah Bond Shares Parting Message with Colleagues and Fans
In a dedicated note shared with her team and posted publicly on LinkedIn, Sarah Bond stated that she is “incredibly proud” of what Xbox and her team were able to build over the past 8 years, making particular note of the rapid growth in PC and cloud gaming, the development of the next Xbox console, and the laying of a foundation for a “more open gaming platform.” Bond revealed memories of her commitment to help lead Xbox through a “period of critical change” and presently sees the state of the video game industry as “a transformative technological era.” As such, Bond believes this moment offers a unique opportunity for “eyes and new leadership” to guide Xbox and Microsoft Gaming in the next chapter of gaming. She thanked both Phil Spencer and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, for their support over the years, and sent well-wishes to Asha Sharma.
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Of interesting note from Bond was mention that she will be assisting Asha Sharma during this transitional period as a Special Advisor. It is unknown if this role will be served in any official capacity or if it simply allows Bond to aid Sharma in settling into new duties with occasional guidance. Sarah Bond’s message ended with three crucial questions that she used while acting as President of Microsoft Gaming. Those questions all revolve around having the best performance while helping others to succeed and ensuring a superior result. Both Sarah Bond and Phil Spencer’s departures have left many weary of the immediate and long-term impacts on Xbox, though this parting statement from Bond and comments by Matt Booty have reassured both employees and fans with passionate support for the new changes at Microsoft Gaming and Xbox.
Despite shockwaves reverberating within the industry as Sarah Bond and Phil Spencer leave Xbox, it is far from the first time a major player in gaming has seen executive shakeups. Nintendo President Doug Bowser stepped down from his position in December 2025, after filling the role of his predecessor, Reggie Fils-Aime, who had left the role in 2019. Only time will tell if Bond and Spencer’s successors make any critical changes in the coming years, so interested fans may want to follow along for any upcoming announcements from new CEO of Microsoft Gaming Asha Sharma or others at Xbox.
