Former LinkedIn Chief Ryan Roslansky to Leave Microsoft at End of 2026

Microsoft executive Ryan Roslansky, who led LinkedIn for six years before co-leading the company's broader productivity and artificial intelligence tools, will leave Microsoft at the end of 2026. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the departure in an internal employee memo on Thursday, according to a report by CNBC Business (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/01/linkedin-chief-roslansky-microsoft-exit.html).

In the memo, Nadella wrote that Roslansky leaves the unit in a strong position. The transition comes as Microsoft reorganizes leadership to capitalize on generative AI across its software portfolio. The Redmond, Washington-based company has seen several high-profile executive departures this year, including gaming head Phil Spencer and Office leader Rajesh Jha, while security chief Charlie Bell shifted to an individual contributor role.

Roslansky joined LinkedIn as product chief in 2009 when the platform was private, following earlier management roles at Yahoo and Glam Media. He was former LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner's first hire. After Microsoft completed its $27 billion acquisition of LinkedIn in 2016, Roslansky succeeded Weiner as CEO in 2020. During Roslansky's six-year tenure leading the subsidiary, LinkedIn's membership base expanded from 700 million to 1.3 billion users.

Roslansky's responsibilities broadened in 2025 when he took on duties in Microsoft's Office productivity group. Earlier this year, Nadella appointed Roslansky alongside two other executives to lead Microsoft 365 applications and the Copilot platform, with LinkedIn chief operating officer Dan Shapero stepping up as LinkedIn CEO. Nadella highlighted Roslansky's contributions to the unified Copilot application, which Microsoft introduced last week as part of an effort to embed Office functions directly into Copilot.

In his own memo to staff, Roslansky cited geographic constraints for his planned exit. He noted that leading the next phase of the productivity and AI initiative would require being in Redmond full-time, while his family remains based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The executive transition follows improved financial momentum for LinkedIn. In July, Microsoft reported that LinkedIn's revenue growth accelerated to 11% for the fiscal year ending in June, up from less than 9% in the previous year. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, who joined Microsoft's board in 2017, also announced plans earlier this year to step down from the board.