As Microsoft marks its 50th anniversary, Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella shared a message with employees reflecting on the company’s ability to adapt through changing technological landscapes. Nadella emphasized the importance of reinvention, particularly in the current era of AI platform shifts, and the commitment to operational excellence.
Nadella highlighted, “To continue thriving as a company, we need to raise the bar on our operational excellence, continually improving security, quality, and delivery to our customers, as well as the rigor with which we operate the business.” He emphasized the need to prioritize both product innovation and exceeding customer expectations in fundamental operations.
In light of this strategic focus, Nadella announced the appointment of Carolina Dybeck Happe as Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. In her new role, Happe will join the senior leadership team (SLT) and report directly to Nadella. He expressed admiration for Happe’s global business leadership, particularly her role in leading GE’s recent turnaround. Nadella noted her proven ability to drive large-scale transformational change, enhance customer experiences, and accelerate value delivery.
Happe will collaborate with the SLT to drive continuous business process improvement across all Microsoft organizations and accelerate the company’s AI transformation. This strategic move aims to increase value for both customers and partners. As part of this transition, several key organizations will now report to Happe, including the Commerce + Ecosystems organization in Cloud + AI, the Microsoft Digital organization in Experiences + Devices, and the Microsoft Business Operations organization in Finance.
Nadella concluded by expressing excitement about the future and the collective progress Microsoft will achieve under Happe’s leadership. He extended a warm welcome to Happe on behalf of the company.
