The Microsoft corporate logo lights up at the Fira Gran Via booth at Mobile World Congress on March 5, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain.
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microsoft Chief diversity officer Lindsey Ray McIntyre is the latest executive to leave the software company as it makes personnel changes to take advantage of growing demand for artificial intelligence.
Amy Coleman, Microsoft’s executive vice president and chief human resources officer, told employees in a memo published by Business Insider on Wednesday that McIntyre plans to leave at the end of March to take a position as chief human resources officer at another organization next month.
A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the validity of the memo to CNBC.
Coleman, who took over last year, wrote that the company is undergoing an “AI-powered transformation.” Microsoft is not currently commenting on what the AI transformation will mean for its human resources group.
Several executives have left Microsoft in recent months, including gaming head Phil Spencer and productivity software head Rajesh Jha. Security executive Charlie Bell became an individual contributor in February.
Software stocks are under pressure amid growing concerns about competition from products that incorporate generative AI models. Microsoft stock is down 23% so far in 2026. The company is allocating more capital to its data center infrastructure, including: Nvidia It has a graphics chip that can run AI models and is focused on building top-of-the-line AI models.
The company is working to demonstrate return on investment.
In January, CEO Satya Nadella touted 15 million seats for the Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on for commercial productivity software subscriptions, representing 3% of the total Microsoft 365 commercial seat base.
At the same time, it’s becoming more important to hire top talent and build tools to keep employees happy.
“As technology and the way we work at Microsoft continues to evolve, we are transforming our human resources function to ensure that we continue to be a place where our people can do their best work,” a spokesperson said in an email to CNBC. “The organizational updates we are making today are closely aligned with our business priorities and will help us align more closely across our teams, move faster, and simplify the way we operate to support our employees and customers.”
Microsoft’s engineering human resources team will report to corporate vice president Mel Simpson, Coleman wrote.
“Talent strategy is a competitive strategy, and our success depends on recruiting the best talent in a time of intense and accelerating competition,” she wrote.
Microsoft will hire someone who will be responsible for talent acquisition and will report to her, according to the memo.
Despite McIntyre’s departure, Microsoft will continue to retain Diana Navas Rosette as its general manager of culture and inclusion. Coleman said Navas Rosette will report to Leslie Lawson Sims, who will lead a new people and culture team that includes two existing groups.
Microsoft’s people analytics team will become part of the company’s employee experience division, led by corporate vice president Nathalie D’Hers, Coleman wrote.
Coleman wrote that her group “has enabled our department to lead the next phase of AI-powered transformation across the company, driving clarity, speed, and alignment.”
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