Sarah Bond has been named the first black woman president of Microsoft’s Xbox division. According to The Verge, in her new post, she will also supervise the whole Xbox ecosystem, including Xbox’s hardware and software platforms.
She will also be in control of the brand’s future, which might “include a redesigned disc-less Xbox Series X next year and a next-gen hybrid console in 2028,” according to the Verge.
“To manage the platform of today, and build the platform of tomorrow, we are bringing together the teams that will make this possible,” Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer explained in a memo obtained by the Verge.
“Sarah Bond will lead this team as President of Xbox — bringing together Devices, Player & Creator Experiences, Platform Engineering, Strategy, Business Planning, Data & Analytics and Business Development.”
Bond was previously the Corporate Vice President, Game Creator Experience and Ecosystem at Microsoft.According to her LinkedIn page, she oversaw the Xbox section committed to developing and commercializing goods and services for game makers and partners.
Bond was also key in the growth of Xbox and the success of Xbox Game Pass as the CVP of Global Gaming Partnerships and Development at the time. According to her LinkedIn page, she was instrumental in building the product portfolio in support of Project xCloud by leading the development of strategic partner connections.
She worked at T-Mobile for several years before joining Microsoft in 2017. She supervised the Corporate Strategy and Development team and was in charge of cross-functional strategic initiatives, large investments, partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions, as well as being a member of the team that oversaw T-Mobile’s turnaround.
Bond has been a rising star since joining Xbox, according to The Verge. She has been recognized for her work behind the scenes in Activision Blizzard’s recent acquisition. According to the platform, she even appeared at the FTC v. Microsoft hearing to discuss video games and the Xbox business to Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley.
Bond began her career with McKinsey, where she was an Associate Partner in the Seattle office, after receiving a BA in Economics from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
