Xbox chief operating officer Helen Chiang steps down after three months

Helen Chiang has left her role as Xbox chief operating officer after just three months, according to an internal memo obtained by The Verge.

“Helen Chiang is leaving Microsoft today,” Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said in the memo. “I’m grateful for her years of service and wish her well.”

Chiang’s immediate responsibilities will be divided among other Xbox leaders until a permanent leadership plan for the role is finalized.

Chiang was appointed as Xbox’s first-ever chief operating officer in July, following a 21-year career at Microsoft that included leading Mojang and the Minecraft franchise.

“For the first time, we are establishing a chief operating officer with end-to-end [profit and loss] responsibility across content, hardware, platform, and services,” Sharma said when announcing the role in July. “Helen Chiang has been promoted to this role and will report directly to me. Over nearly two decades at Xbox, Helen has helped build some of our most important businesses, from Xbox Live to leading Mojang and the Minecraft franchise. She will bring our businesses together under one operating model, making sure we make clear investment decisions, learn from our successes and failures, and hold ourselves accountable for results.”

When asked for comment on Chiang’s departure, Xbox vice president of communications Kari Perez told The Verge, “We don’t discuss individual personnel matters. We’re grateful for Helen’s years of service and wish her well.”