New CPO taking over from Kathleen Hogan in overseeing more than 220,000 employees
Microsoft has named Amy Coleman as its newest executive vice president, chief people officer, to succeed Kathleen Hogan, who will be transitioning to a new role in the tech giant.
Coleman, who has been with Microsoft for the past 25 years, will be joining the senior leadership team in her new role and will be reporting to chairman and CEO Satya Nadella.
She replaces Hogan, who served as CPO since 2015, and who will be moving to a new EVP, Office of Strategy and Transformation role.
"Amy's commitment to operational excellence and high performance will be key in driving our continued success, and I'm confident in the perspective, expertise, and thoughtful approach she'll bring as we navigate the next phase of our journey," Nadella said in a statement.
In her new role, Coleman will be focused on overseeing Microsoft's more than 220,000 global employees and ensuring that it will be an "exceptional workplace" for them.
Coleman's portfolio with Microsoft spans 25 years, with her first stint from 1996 to 2005, while her second one has been from 2009 to the present.
Her most recent position is Corporate Vice President, Human Resources and Corporate Functions, where she led a global team of 200 HR professionals and oversaw HR operations for multiple corporate functions at Microsoft, according to her LinkedIn profile.
She also spearheaded the development of the company's hybrid work approach, led the HR response during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as served as the HR Leader of Microsoft's Future of Work board.
Coleman steps up to the new EVP, CPO role as Microsoft implements a new approach to performance reviews.
The company was previously reported to have initiated a new measure of terminating low-performing employees, with the job cuts expected to impact less than one per cent of its workforce.
Microsoft also drew flak last year for laying off an internal team focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, Business Insider reported.
Its team leader, in an email to thousands of employees, called out Microsoft, saying that "work associated with DEI programmes everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020."
Jeff Jones, a spokesperson for Microsoft, refuted this, saying that the company's DEI commitments "remain unchanged."
"Our focus on diversity and inclusion is unwavering and we are holding firm on our expectations, prioritising accountability, and continuing to focus on this work," Jones told Business Insider.
In October, Microsoft also released a diversity and inclusion report that it dubbed as its "most global, transparent report yet."
Among the key findings were:
Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, Chief Diversity Officer and Corporate Vice President, Talent and Learning, said the company remains committed to DEI because it "creates transformational solutions to the most complex challenges."
"Culture is the how, influencing everything with a focus on growth and innovation. Culture is also the who: Who makes up the workforce, who services our customers, who innovates the future of tech," McIntyre said in a statement.
"The diversity of the workforce, combined with inclusion, unlocks individual and collective potential. This is what is necessary to stay relevant, compete at scale and win."
