Microsoft’s head of comms is leaving after almost 20 years
Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s chief communications officer for 17 years, has told his team he will leave the company at the end of the calendar year. Shaw has been involved in Microsoft communications for nearly 29 years, including earlier work at the Waggener Edstrom agency, and plans to take a break before pursuing unspecified next steps.
Why It Matters
Shaw has been a central figure in Microsoft’s public messaging through multiple product cycles, CEO transitions and major acquisitions, meaning his departure will create a notable leadership gap during a period when communications remain strategically important. Microsoft has not yet named a successor, leaving the company to manage a transition in a role that helps shape its public narrative.
Key Facts
- Name: Frank Shaw
- Role: Chief communications officer, Microsoft
- Time as CCO: 17 years
- Total time supporting Microsoft communications: Nearly 29 years (including agency work)
- Prior employer: Waggener Edstrom (now We. Communications)
Frank Shaw has announced he will depart Microsoft, stepping down from his role as chief communications officer after 17 years in that position. In an internal message to his team, Shaw said he has decided to move on and will remain at the company through the end of the calendar year while Microsoft determines next steps.
Shaw’s involvement with Microsoft communications stretches back to the late 1990s and includes nearly 29 years of work supporting the company when counting his time at Waggener Edstrom. Over that period he has helped manage public messaging around multiple Windows and Office launches, CEO transitions, Microsoft’s strategic shift to cloud services, and large acquisitions such as LinkedIn (the $26.2 billion deal in 2016) and Activision Blizzard (the $69 billion acquisition in 2023).
Well regarded inside and outside Microsoft, Shaw has a reputation for being direct with colleagues and persistent in correcting public reporting. PRWeek recently placed him at the top of its 2026 list of the most powerful people in the PR industry, and he has frequently engaged with media and social platforms to defend or clarify Microsoft’s positions.
Shaw told colleagues he plans to take a break after he leaves and has not announced any concrete next steps. Microsoft has not named a replacement; the company and Shaw said they will provide an update on the succession plan in the coming weeks, and he will be available for an internal Q&A with his team before his departure.
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