Microsoft Moves Communications Under Brad Smith as Nadella Pushes to Build in Public

Microsoft is moving its communications unit out of its marketing organization and into its Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs group led by Vice Chair and President Brad Smith, according to internal memos sent Thursday by Smith and Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella. The reorganization, first reported by GeekWire (https://www.geekwire.com/2026/internal-memos-microsoft-shakes-up-communications-as-nadella-makes-a-push-to-build-in-public/), shifts the company's media relations function alongside its legal, regulatory, and policy teams.

Nadella framed the structural realignment as a response to an increasingly fragmented media landscape, writing that Microsoft needs to connect directly with outside audiences and empower engineers, sellers, and partners to tell the company's story. The strategy mirrors the more fluid communication approach taken by AI laboratories such as OpenAI and Anthropic, where technical staff and leaders regularly share product updates and research directly with the public.

Under the transition plan, Brent Colburn, vice president of global public affairs, will serve as interim communications leader starting next week and reporting to Smith. Colburn, who previously announced plans to leave Microsoft in mid-October, will now stay through December but is not seeking the permanent post. Longtime communications head Frank X. Shaw, who announced earlier this month that he will depart at the end of the year, has stepped down from daily operational duties to advise Smith and Colburn through the transition.

Shaw told GeekWire by phone that the immediate handoff formalizes his previously announced exit plan. Nadella and Smith both praised Shaw's more than 17 years at the company, while Microsoft confirmed in a statement that Shaw will remain an advisor through the end of the calendar year.

Smith said Microsoft has opened an executive search for a permanent chief communications officer who will also report to him, indicating the organizational shift is permanent. Smith will lead the search alongside Chief Marketing Officer Takeshi Numoto and Chief People Officer Amy Coleman. In his memo, Smith noted that more executives and rank-and-file employees will likely serve as public voices on social media.

The changes come as Microsoft works to expand its in-house AI development under Mustafa Suleyman's Microsoft AI division while seeking broader consumer adoption for Copilot against competitors such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and recent hardware and software previews from Meta.

The expanded communications leadership team under Smith will include Caitlin McCabe, Carol Ann Browne, and Dave Imperiale, who support communications for Nadella, Smith, and commercial business head Judson Althoff, respectively, along with public affairs leader Kate Frischmann. Colburn will also hold a seat on Numoto's marketing leadership team during the interim period.