Microsoft gives LinkedIn chief additional productivity software role in shakeup

Microsoft has announced a significant expansion of LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky's responsibilities, adding oversight of its Office productivity software suite to his portfolio. This move, confirmed by a source familiar with the internal changes, places Roslansky in the role of executive vice president of Office, where he will report to Rajesh Jha, Microsoft's executive vice president for experiences and devices. Roslansky, who has led LinkedIn since its acquisition by Microsoft in 2016 for $27 billion, will continue to report directly to CEO Satya Nadella. In an email to employees detailing the reorganization, Nadella emphasized the importance of Roslansky's dual role, which comes at a time when both LinkedIn and Microsoft 365 are crucial to the daily operations of professionals worldwide. LinkedIn has seen substantial growth, generating over $17 billion in revenue in the past year, and will maintain its status as a subsidiary of Microsoft. Roslansky, who has been with LinkedIn since 2009 and previously worked at Yahoo, expressed excitement about his new responsibilities, stating, "Office is one of the most iconic product suites in history. It has shaped how the world works, literally. The reach and impact of Office are unmatched. I’m coming into this role in a new, exciting era where productivity, connection, and AI are converging at scale." In addition to overseeing well-known applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams, Roslansky's new role will also encompass the M365 Copilot app, designed to enhance user experience across Office applications. This app, released in 2020, represents a significant leap toward integrating AI into everyday productivity software. As part of this organizational shakeup, Charles Lamanna, who previously led business and industry Copilot products, will also transition to Jha's team. Lamanna’s group is known for developing Dynamics 365 sales and customer service products, which compete with Salesforce, and the Copilot Studio tool for building AI agents. Nadella has previously indicated that the future of business applications will increasingly rely on AI, suggesting a shift in how organizations interact with technology. He noted that many existing software applications are underutilized, with significant potential for improvement as AI technology evolves. The Productivity and Business Processes segment of Microsoft has seen impressive profitability in recent years, with operating margins reaching over 58% in the latest fiscal quarter, compared to 33% in 2017, bolstered by the growth of Microsoft 365 subscriptions and LinkedIn.