Asha Sharma
American business executive (born 1989)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Asha Sharma (born 1989) is an American business executive who serves as executive vice president (EVP) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Xbox.[1] She succeeded Phil Spencer on February 20, 2026. Previously, Sharma served as President of Microsoft's CoreAI product.
Asha Sharma | |
|---|---|
Sharma in 2026 | |
| Born | 1989 (age 36–37) Racine, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Education | University of Minnesota (BS) |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Employer | Microsoft (2011–2013, 2024–present) |
| Title | EVP & CEO of Xbox (2026–present) |
| Term | February 20, 2026 – present |
| Predecessor | Phil Spencer |
Board member of | Coupang (2024–present) Home Depot (2025–present) |
Early life
Sharma was born in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1989. Her parents were divorced, and her mother worked at a department store. As a teenager, Sharma worked on a golf course.[2] She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, graduating in 2011.[3][4] While she was a student, Sharma launched and led a center for at-risk teenagers called the A-list in Brooklyn Park. When she departed that leadership role, the center closed.[5]
Career
Sharma began her career at S.C. Johnson at the age of 17.[6] After graduating from the University of Minnesota, she joined the marketing department at Microsoft in 2011, before joining the startup home services company Porch in 2013. She remained at Porch into 2017 as its chief operating officer (COO).[5] After departing Porch, she joined Facebook as VP Product & Engineering for their Messenger and Instagram Direct products.
Instacart (2021–2024)
In February 2021, Sharma's appointment as chief operating officer (COO) of Instacart was announced.[7] She formally joined Instacart in June 2021.[8][9] While Sharma was COO, Instacart underwent an initial public offering in September 2023 at $42 per share with Sharma's shares worth $19 million.[10]
Return to Microsoft
Sharma returned to Microsoft in February 2024 to serve as President of the CoreAI division.[11] On February 20, 2026, Sharma was announced as executive vice president and CEO of Microsoft Gaming following the retirement of Phil Spencer.[12] Her selection came as a surprise, passing over Spencer's second-in-command Sarah Bond. Sharma received scrutiny for having no professional experience in the video game industry prior to her appointment to lead Xbox.[13] Sharma's history in user acquisition was a primary motivator for her selection, as Xbox has seen declining console sales over recent years.[14] In a statement following her appointment, Sharma promised to "recommit to our core Xbox fans and players" and "not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop".[15]
Under Sharma, Xbox lowered the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and wound down the development of Copilot on Xbox consoles and on the Xbox app.[16][17][18] She received praise from IGN for the price cut and for discontinuing the "This is an Xbox" marketing campaign.[19] In July 2026, Sharma laid off approximately 4800 Xbox workers across various divisions citing revenue below industry standards, amounting to one of the largest layoffs in industry history at one company.
Board memberships
As of 2026, Sharma was serving as a board member at Coupang, Home Depot and Paley Center for Media. She previously served as a board member at Porch, Seattle Foundation, and Virginia Mason Medical Center.[20][21][9][22]