Frank Shaw is leaving Microsoft aft 17 years arsenic main communications officer. In an soul statement to his team, Shaw says he’s “decided it is clip for maine to move connected and effort caller things,” aft supporting Microsoft’s communications for 29 years — astir 20 years arsenic a Microsoft worker positive clip astatine the Waggener Edstrom agency (now We. Communications) earlier that.
Shaw has been astatine the bosom of Microsoft’s communications since 1997, helping the institution navigate aggregate Windows and Office releases, CEO transitions, the all-important stake connected cloud, and immense acquisitions for illustration the $26.2 cardinal LinkedIn purchase successful 2016 and the $69 cardinal acquisition of Activision Blizzard successful 2023.
He’s well-respected crossed the nationalist relations industry, and PRWeek recently named him number one connected its 2026 database of the astir powerful group successful the PR industry. Internally astatine Microsoft he’s besides well-respected among executives, and has built up a estimation for being direct, but respectful. Many labor person told maine complete the years that they ever fearfulness an email from him for misspeaking aliases accidentally leaking merchandise plans.
He’s earned a estimation extracurricular of the institution arsenic personification who is ever consenting to reason pinch critics, correct stories, and take sides Microsoft. In 2013, he ripped into Apple and the property for daring to comparison iWork to Office, and he regularly appears connected X to sprout down rumors aliases to correct accusation astir Microsoft. At Microsoft’s 50th day statement past year, he appeared onstage to publication retired a bid of hilarious mean tweets astir his PR activities.
I’ve been covering Microsoft for much than 25 years, and I first encountered Shaw arsenic a naive teen trying to get into blogging. I would station confidential Microsoft documents online astatine my clip astatine Neowin, aliases blog astir early Windows features earlier the institution was fresh to denote them. That regularly sewage maine into problem pinch Microsoft’s service of lawyers, and moreover sewage Neowin knocked offline for 24 hours.
Despite location being a awesome woody of communal respect betwixt us, I’ve upset Shaw plentifulness of times complete the decades, starring to immoderate heated debates aliases disagreements complete stories. Still to this day, erstwhile Frank calls my phone, I brace myself, knowing Microsoft is either astir to denote thing crazy aliases I’ve upset the institution again.
But what’s he doing next? Shaw isn’t retiring conscionable yet, but he tells maine he’s going to return a well-earned break earlier moving connected to “other things” he wants to do. Could that beryllium PR for an AI startup? Baking sourdough bread professionally? In a mode befitting a communications professional: He refuses to show me.
Microsoft isn’t naming a replacement for Shaw yet, arsenic he’s not leaving the institution until the extremity of the year. “I’ll beryllium present done the extremity of the almanac year, and the institution is moving done adjacent steps, look for an update successful the adjacent fewer weeks,” says Shaw successful a statement to his team.
Here’s Shaw’s afloat soul memo to his communications team:
(don’t hide the lede)
After 17 years successful this domiciled and astir 29 moving pinch the company, I’ve decided it is clip for maine to move connected and effort caller things. Takeshi and I person been talking astir this for a while, and I americium excited astir what’s next, for maine and for Microsoft. I stay optimistic astir the institution mission, the unthinkable talent connected this team, and really overmuch the institution depends connected america during this captious time. I’ll beryllium present done the extremity of the almanac year, and the institution is moving done adjacent steps, look for an update successful the adjacent fewer weeks. I cognize you will person galore questions, and I’m looking guardant to talking to you astatine our AMA present later this greeting <link>
(start burying)
A while back, location was a societal media inclination wherever group answered the question, “What taxable could you springiness a 30-minute position connected pinch nary preparation?” Me, I could talk astir the US Marines, the changing quality of influence, sourdough starter, the Oregon Ducks, but my spell to would person to beryllium aspects of Stephen King’s the Dark Tower books, starting pinch “The Gunslinger;” the mobility past becomes which peculiar aspect. A speedy primer, the bid follows Roland Deschain, the past of the gunslingers (a operation betwixt mayor/judge/sheriff), arsenic he chases the man successful achromatic done clip and dimensions successful a quest to prevention the world. The mobility embedded passim is if it is imaginable for Roland to clasp his personality and meaning successful a world that had moved on. The refrain is that the world moves on, move pinch it aliases fall. Can Roland move and grow, aliases will he beryllium stuck? One of the concepts that sticks pinch maine comes arsenic we are introduced to much characters, now moving pinch Roland. He introduces the conception of ‘ka-tet’ to picture them. ‘Ka’ is fundamentally fate, aliases destiny, and ‘tet’ translates to a group of people, put together for a larger meaning – a group brought together pinch a shared ngo and destiny, a group pinch shared goals, the willingness to sacrifice for those goals, pinch a heavy affectional relationship to each different and the expertise to make and enactment connected decisions pinch what tin consciousness for illustration supernatural speed.
I’ve ever loved the improvement from the solo weapon slinger we meet successful book 1 to the squad that operates passim the later books. Roland connected his ain was formidable but grounded successful his missions, arsenic portion of a ka-tet he was successful the extremity successful.
You, my friends, are my ka-tet. Together, we’ve accomplished astonishing things. My gratefulness is endless.
We will person clip together still complete the adjacent group of months arsenic we finalize decisions and present awesome activity connected behalf of the company, and I will beryllium adjacent by after. In the Dark Tower, the accepted departure saying is “long days and pleasant nights,” and truthful it will be, but not until December. 😊
fxs
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