Microsoft Communications Chief Frank X. Shaw to Depart After Nearly Three Decades

Frank X. Shaw, Microsoft's chief communications officer for nearly three decades, is leaving the company at the end of the year.

Shaw, 64, has been with Microsoft since the beginning, first working on the agency side and then joining as a senior leader in 2008. He plans to take time off after his departure, but hasn't ruled out returning to work in the future.

Mike Frank, his colleague in corporate communications, credited Shaw for shaping Microsoft's 'voice and reputation with intelligence, candor and wit.'

Shaw has worked with all three of Microsoft's CEOs, including Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Satya Nadella. Under Nadella's leadership, he oversaw the company's communications efforts during its major transformations, including the LinkedIn and Activision Blizzard deals.