Another Microsoft executive exits as Julia Liuson steps down after 34 years

Microsoft is set to lose another senior executive, with Julia Liuson, head of its developer division, stepping down after a 34-year career at the company.

According to The Verge, Liuson will remain in her role until the end of June before transitioning to an advisory position reporting to Microsoft CoreAI chief Jay Parikh. Her departure marks the latest in a series of leadership changes at the software group.

Long-serving leader exits developer division

Liuson has led Microsoft’s developer division, known as DevDiv, for the past 12 years, overseeing a period in which the company deepened its focus on open source software and completed its $7.5bn acquisition of GitHub.

She also took on oversight of GitHub’s revenue, engineering and support functions following the resignation of former GitHub chief executive Thomas Dohmke last year.

In an internal memo seen by the publication, Liuson said she had been considering the move for some time. “The timing feels right for me to take this step,” she said, adding that she was proud of the division’s reputation for being “customer-obsessed”.

Leadership uncertainty and reporting changes

It remains unclear who will replace Liuson or whether the developer division will be folded more directly into the CoreAI structure under Parikh, The Verge said.

Her exit follows a shift in how Microsoft organises key parts of its business. After Dohmke’s departure, GitHub’s leadership began reporting directly into the company’s CoreAI team.

Series of executive departures

Liuson’s resignation comes amid a broader wave of senior exits. Former Xbox chief Phil Spencer announced his retirement in February, alongside the resignation of Xbox president Sarah Bond. Additionally, Microsoft’s chief diversity officer, Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, will step down at the end of March, as the company undertakes a significant overhaul of its human resources function to align with its evolving AI strategy.

More recently, Rajesh Jha, Microsoft’s head of experiences and devices, also said he would retire after more than 35 years at the company. His departure led to a flattening of Microsoft’s product leadership structure, with teams such as Windows and Office reporting more directly to chief executive Satya Nadella.

At the same time, Microsoft has reshaped its artificial intelligence leadership, appointing a new head for its Copilot business while shifting AI chief Mustafa Suleyman’s focus towards the company’s underlying models.

Strategic shift continues

The latest departure underscores an ongoing reshaping of Microsoft’s senior ranks as it aligns leadership with its evolving priorities in artificial intelligence and platform development.

With Liuson moving into an advisory role and no successor yet named, the structure of the developer division will be closely watched as the company continues to recalibrate its leadership and reporting lines.