Microsoft’s head of comms is leaving after almost 20 years

Frank Shaw is leaving Microsoft after 17 years as chief communications officer. In an internal note to his team, Shaw says he’s “decided it is time for me to move on and try new things,” after supporting Microsoft’s communications for 29 years — nearly 20 years as a Microsoft employee plus time at the Waggener Edstrom agency (now We. Communications) before that. Shaw has been at the heart of Microsoft’s communications since 1997, helping the company navigate multiple Windows and Office releases, CEO transitions, the all-important bet on cloud, and huge acquisitions like the $26.2 billion LinkedIn purchase in 2016 and the $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023. He’s well-respected across the public relations industry, and PRWeek recently named him number one on its 2026 list of the most powerful people in the PR industry. Internally at Microsoft he’s also well-respected among executives, and has built up…