Microsoft HR head Amy Coleman sends a strong 'let go' message to employees. Here's what her email read

Amy Coleman, who took over as chief people officer for US tech giant Microsoft in March 2025, is overhauling her team which includes a series of promotions and some departures. Microsoft’s Chief People Officer has announced a comprehensive restructuring of the human-resources team responsible for overseeing compensation, policies, and employee programs for the company’s more than 220,000 global employees, reported Business Insider, citing an internal memo. The move to announce major shift in Microsoft's HR department hints at a shift towards adaptability and speed as the tech giant retools itself for the age of artificial intelligence.

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"We're in a time when technology, the way we work, and our org structures are all evolving," the email from Amy Coleman stated. "The pace of change is exceeding what our current operating model and decision rhythms were built for. We're no longer being asked to scale for stability; we need to scale for adaptability and help set a new pace. I'm excited about this moment and what's ahead. Let's keep learning, let go of old assumptions, and make Microsoft a place where everyone can do their best work.”


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Microsoft makes big changes at HR department

Amy Coleman revealed a series of promotions and exits within the company’s human-resources team. Chief Diversity Officer Lindsay-Rae McIntyre will leave Microsoft on March 31 to “take the next step in her career to become a Chief People Officer,” according to an internal email.

Leslie Lawson Sims will succeed McIntyre as VP, People & Culture, taking on a role that includes accelerating the people team and shaping company culture across the enterprise.

Coleman was promoted in 2025 shortly after Microsoft laid off 2,000 employees labeled as low performers, marking a significant revamp of its performance review and management processes. Her promotion also comes amid a broader tech industry trend toward stricter performance standards and reduced leniency for employees.

What's the new HR structure at Microsoft?

The key changes at Microsoft's HR structure includes:

Engineering HR has been consolidated under Mel Simpson to better align with product and business priorities.

The Employee Experience team, led by Nathalie D’Hers, has expanded, integrating People Analytics to deliver faster insights.

Total Rewards, headed by Mike Cyran, sees key promotions for Fred Thiele and Mark Breer to strengthen compensation and benefits.

Additionally, Microsoft has launched a Workforce Acceleration team under Justin Thenutai, focusing on upskilling, redeployment, and human-agent collaboration, further enhancing workforce agility across the company.

Amy Coleman replaced long-time HR chief Kathleen Hogan, who spent a decade shaping Microsoft’s workplace culture alongside CEO Satya Nadella, introducing the company’s signature “growth mindset” management system. In March 2025, Hogan transitioned to a new role as Executive Vice President of the Office of Strategy and Transformation.

These HR leadership changes coincide with Microsoft’s broader push to reshape product development and funding in the AI era. The company recently consolidated teams for its Copilot AI tools, appointing a new executive while moving AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman to focus on the AI superintelligence team formed in November. Microsoft also promoted executives to oversee Office, Teams, and Windows, following the upcoming retirement of Rajesh Jha, one of the company’s longest-serving leaders.