Helen Chiang leaves Microsoft after three months as Xbox COO

Helen Chiang is leaving Microsoft after about three months as Xbox’s first chief operating officer, with CEO Asha Sharma saying her immediate responsibilities will be divided among other Xbox leaders while the company finalizes plans for the role. Sharma announced Chiang’s departure in an internal memo on October 23, thanking her for her years of service. The memo did not explain why Chiang was leaving. Microsoft said it does not discuss individual personnel matters and expressed gratitude for Chiang’s service. Chiang had worked at Microsoft for more than two decades. Xbox created the COO position in July, making her its first occupant. The role was described as carrying end-to-end profit-and-loss responsibility across content, hardware, platform and services. Sharma said Xbox would share more about COO leadership as plans are finalized. In the meantime, Chiang’s immediate responsibilities are being split among other Xbox leaders. The memo did not say who would take over the role or when a decision would be announced. A specific explanation for Chiang’s departure has not been confirmed. An anonymous Microsoft source told Eurogamer that she was terminated for policy violations,...