Microsoft’s head of communications is leaving after spending nearly 29 years

Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s longtime chief communications officer, is stepping down after leading the company’s corporate messaging through nearly three decades of industry shifts, major leadership transitions and massive multi-billion-dollar corporate acquisitions. Shaw announced his departure in an internal memo to staff and shared a note on LinkedIn, writing that he has decided it is time for him to move on and try new things. His exit caps a nearly 29-year association with Microsoft's public profile, comprising nearly two decades as an in-house employee preceded by years managing the company's account at external PR agency Waggener Edstrom (now known as WE Communications).Shaw has directed Microsoft’s strategic messaging since 1997, acting as the narrative anchor during the company’s history. He helped orchestrate public communication strategies across successive Windows launches, Office suites and the critical enterprise transition to cloud computing.