In a strategic realignment of leadership, Microsoft has appointed Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn, to additionally oversee its core productivity tools, including Word, Excel, and the AI-powered assistant Copilot. The decision was communicated via an internal memo by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and reflects the company’s broader ambition to create a more integrated ecosystem between artificial intelligence and workplace productivity software.

Roslansky will continue his existing role as LinkedIn's CEO while also taking on expanded responsibilities for Microsoft’s Office portfolio. These include supervising flagship applications such as Word and Excel, and overseeing the development and scaling of Copilot, Microsoft’s AI solution embedded within its productivity suite.

The leadership reshuffle is designed to bring greater cohesion between Microsoft’s AI capabilities and its productivity tools, especially at a time when AI adoption is rapidly transforming how businesses operate. According to the memo, Roslansky will now report to Rajesh Jha, Executive Vice President of Experiences and Devices, who already leads efforts across Microsoft Windows and Teams.

Additionally, other key figures—including Sumit Chauhan and Gaurav Sareen (leaders within Office), as well as Charles Lamanna, who is spearheading AI Copilot development for business users—will also report directly to Jha. This centralised reporting structure underlines Microsoft’s intention to drive tighter alignment across its software divisions.

The dual leadership role signals confidence in Roslansky’s vision and operational capability, especially considering LinkedIn's growth under his leadership and the platform’s increasing integration into Microsoft’s broader business ecosystem.

Microsoft’s strategic pivot arrives amid an intensifying race among tech giants to deploy generative AI into enterprise workflows. Copilot, which has been embedded into Microsoft 365 products, represents a cornerstone of the company’s generative AI push—aimed at assisting users with writing, analysing data, summarising content, and automating tasks.

The memo also hints at a future where AI is seamlessly infused across Microsoft’s entire software stack—something Nadella has long envisioned as part of the company's next wave of innovation.