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LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky To Lead Microsoft's Productivity Initiatives

In a strategic leadership realignment, Microsoft has appointed LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky to oversee its consumer and small business productivity software division, encompassing Microsoft 365, Teams and AI-driven tools like Copilot.

According to an internal memo from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella obtained by The Verge and other outlets, Roslansky will maintain his role at LinkedIn while taking charge of a newly formed "Productivity and Business Processes" group, which includes core applications such as Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Microsoft Loop. This move aims to unify Microsoft's productivity offerings with its expanding AI capabilities.

Nadella highlighted the transition as a step toward integrating Microsoft's workplace products with its professional networking platform, LinkedIn. "This move brings us closer to the original vision we laid out nine years ago with the LinkedIn acquisition: connecting the world's economic graph with the Microsoft Graph," he wrote in the memo.

Roslansky expressed enthusiasm for the new role in a post on LinkedIn, which he has led since 2020, emphasizing the convergence of productivity, connection and AI at scale. He wrote:

Office is one of the most iconic product suites in history. It has shaped how the world works, literally. The reach and impact of Office are unmatched. I'm coming into this role in a new, exciting era. Productivity, connection, and AI are converging at scale. Both Office and LinkedIn are used daily by professionals globally and I'm looking forward to redefining ourselves in this new world.

The move brings one of Microsoft's most high-profile executives further into the company's broader productivity and AI strategy. Roslansky, who has been with LinkedIn for 16 years, has led the platform through record user growth and an expanding suite of enterprise tools.

The change also reflects Microsoft's increasing focus on AI integration across its product stack. With Roslansky now involved in shaping the future of tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot, the company aims to more closely align its productivity and talent platforms.

Roslansky will report directly to Rajesh Jha, Microsoft's head of experiences and devices. in his expanded role. Further, Nadella announced that Charles Lamanna and the Business and Industry Copilot team will also report under Jha.

About the Author

Chris Paoli (@ChrisPaoli5) is the associate editor for Converge360.

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