Spencer has been the head of Xbox (including Xbox Live, Xbox Music and Xbox Video teams, and Microsoft Studios) since 2014. With this promotion, Phil Spencer will retain largely the same responsibilities and will continue to manage the Xbox division. However, by becoming a Microsoft Executive Vice President, he is getting a full leadership role with the company. He will join the 16 Senior Leadership team that includes CEO Satya Nadella, Brad Smith, and Terry Myerson. Nadella shared the new addition with employees today, while also announcing a division reshuffle. The CEO says the Enterprise Mobility and Security (EMS) team is moving from the Cloud and Enterprise unit to Windows and Devices. With the move, the team is renamed to “Enterprise Mobility Management”. Employees in the team will work under Corporate Vice President Brad Anderson and Windows and Devices chief Terry Myerson. Spencer’s promotion is arguably important for the Xbox division as a whole. Microsoft’s gaming division has also been looked on as an afterthought. Many commentators believe the company has not always given Xbox its undivided attention.
Xbox Improvement
Since the launch of Xbox One, Microsoft seems to have changed its view. Gone are the persistent rumors the Xbox business will be sold, and instead evolution appears to be a core importance for the company. Spencer has been a driving force behind Xbox’s solid form in recent years. Yes, we all remember the disaster of the Xbox One launch. That was a harmful period that left Microsoft playing catch up to Sony. However, Spencer and the division has recovered well and are pushing the boundaries in the console market with features and hardware (Xbox One X).
