{"id":1839133,"date":"2026-03-21T14:10:41","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T11:10:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1839133"},"modified":"2026-03-21T14:10:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T11:10:41","slug":"two-more-senior-xbox-leaders-exit-microsoft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1839133","title":{"rendered":"Two more senior Xbox leaders exit Microsoft"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">Two more senior Xbox leaders exit Microsoft<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Both Lori Wright and Haiyan Zhang had served the company for 10+ years.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/xbox_hPBubF0.jpg?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"An Xbox controller over a Series X console.\" loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"xbox_hPBubF0.jpg\" data-lightbox width=\"570\" height=\"321\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>Eurogamer<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Vikki Blake avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/1533038852.jpg?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"179\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Vikki Blake avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"1533038852.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"179\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/vikki-blake\">Vikki Blake<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      Contributor<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\nPublished on <time datetime=\"2026-03-21T14:10:41+00:00\">March 21, 2026<\/time>              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>Microsoft has lost another two long-serving members of its senior team: corporate VP of partnerships, business development, and marketing, Lori Wright, and general manager of gaming AI at Xbox, Haiyan Zhang. Both announced their departures on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n<p>Wright is leaving after &#8220;an incredible decade&#8221; at Microsoft and Xbox, and though she thanked colleagues, partners, and friends who &#8220;shaped [her] journey&#8221;, she did not expand on her next steps, only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/activity-7440440236934938625-VW10\/\">writing<\/a>: &#8220;As for what comes next, I&#8217;m hoping for a lot of beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and discovering what lies in the space in between&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Zhang similarly served at Microsoft for more than a decade, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7440456934081634304\/\">writing<\/a> that she had &#8220;decided to step into the next phase of [her] career, which will take [her] on a new adventure beyond Microsoft&#8221;. She will be joining Netflix&#8217;s gaming team.<\/p>\n<p>When The Verge&#8217;s Tom Warren announced Zhang&#8217;s departure on X\/Twitter, she <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/haiyan\/status\/2035154259835330760?s=20\">replied<\/a>, &#8220;It&#8217;s just a new job, dude. Apparently [people] do that :)&#8221;, and when another commenter likened her resignation to &#8220;the rats leaving a ship&#8221;, she <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/haiyan\/status\/2035168484020428984?s=20\">responded<\/a>: &#8220;sometimes it&#8217;s just all about ME and nobody else&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;At Microsoft, I felt I had truly found my people: a place where I could belong,&#8221; she added. &#8220;I hope I carry forward some small piece of the culture we built together: one of curiosity, acceptance, and inclusion&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>The high-profile exits follow the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/today-marks-an-exciting-new-chapter-xbox-boss-phil-spencer-retiring-amid-major-leadership-shakeup-that-sees-microsofts-coreai-president-taking-over-roll\">retirement of Xbox CEO Phil Spencer<\/a> and the departure of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/former-xbox-president-sarah-bond-bids-farewell-to-xbox-staff\">Sarah Bond<\/a>, who many had presumed would eventually succeed Spencer.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month, Xbox shared a brief but key update about its next-generation console. Codenamed Project Helix, it will be able to play PC games as well as Xbox ones, and will &#8220;lead in performance&#8221; according to Microsoft&#8217;s newly-announced gaming CEO Asha Sharma, who is taking over from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/personas\/phil-spencer\">Phil Spencer<\/a> following last month&#8217;s shock news that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/today-marks-an-exciting-new-chapter-xbox-boss-phil-spencer-retiring-amid-major-leadership-shakeup-that-sees-microsofts-coreai-president-taking-over-roll\">Xbox head would be retiring from Microsoft after nearly 40 years with the company<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Towards the end of last year, Microsoft boss Satya Nadella spoke about the company&#8217;s future plans, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/what-comes-after-the-xbox-series-consoles-well-its-pretty-much-just-a-pc-even-the-microsoft-ceo-has-said-so\">direct mention of PC storefront Steam as a competitor platform<\/a>, and Microsoft&#8217;s current significance as a video game publisher.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"preferred-source\" data-component=\"preferred-source\">\nLove Eurogamer.net? Make us a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\">Preferred Source on Google<\/a> and catch more of our coverage in your feeds.  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>Microsoft has lost another two long-serving members of its senior team: corporate VP of partnerships, business development, and marketing, Lori Wright, and general manager of gaming AI at Xbox, Haiyan Zhang. Both announced their departures on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n<p>Wright is leaving after &#8220;an incredible decade&#8221; at Microsoft and Xbox, and though she thanked colleagues, partners, and friends who &#8220;shaped [her] journey&#8221;, she did not expand on her next steps, only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/activity-7440440236934938625-VW10\/\">writing<\/a>: &#8220;As for what comes next, I&#8217;m hoping for a lot of beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and discovering what lies in the space in between&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Zhang similarly served at Microsoft for more than a decade, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7440456934081634304\/\">writing<\/a> that she had &#8220;decided to step into the next phase of [her] career, which will take [her] on a new adventure beyond Microsoft&#8221;. She will be joining Netflix&#8217;s gaming team.<\/p>\n<p>When The Verge&#8217;s Tom Warren announced Zhang&#8217;s departure on X\/Twitter, she <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/haiyan\/status\/2035154259835330760?s=20\">replied<\/a>, &#8220;It&#8217;s just a new job, dude. Apparently [people] do that :)&#8221;, and when another commenter likened her resignation to &#8220;the rats leaving a ship&#8221;, she <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/haiyan\/status\/2035168484020428984?s=20\">responded<\/a>: &#8220;sometimes it&#8217;s just all about ME and nobody else&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;At Microsoft, I felt I had truly found my people: a place where I could belong,&#8221; she added. &#8220;I hope I carry forward some small piece of the culture we built together: one of curiosity, acceptance, and inclusion&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>The high-profile exits follow the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/today-marks-an-exciting-new-chapter-xbox-boss-phil-spencer-retiring-amid-major-leadership-shakeup-that-sees-microsofts-coreai-president-taking-over-roll\">retirement of Xbox CEO Phil Spencer<\/a> and the departure of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/former-xbox-president-sarah-bond-bids-farewell-to-xbox-staff\">Sarah Bond<\/a>, who many had presumed would eventually succeed Spencer.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month, Xbox shared a brief but key update about its next-generation console. Codenamed Project Helix, it will be able to play PC games as well as Xbox ones, and will &#8220;lead in performance&#8221; according to Microsoft&#8217;s newly-announced gaming CEO Asha Sharma, who is taking over from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/personas\/phil-spencer\">Phil Spencer<\/a> following last month&#8217;s shock news that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/today-marks-an-exciting-new-chapter-xbox-boss-phil-spencer-retiring-amid-major-leadership-shakeup-that-sees-microsofts-coreai-president-taking-over-roll\">Xbox head would be retiring from Microsoft after nearly 40 years with the company<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Towards the end of last year, Microsoft boss Satya Nadella spoke about the company&#8217;s future plans, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/what-comes-after-the-xbox-series-consoles-well-its-pretty-much-just-a-pc-even-the-microsoft-ceo-has-said-so\">direct mention of PC storefront Steam as a competitor platform<\/a>, and Microsoft&#8217;s current significance as a video game publisher.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News Two more senior Xbox leaders exit Microsoft Both Lori Wright and Haiyan Zhang had served the company for 10+ years. Image credit: Eurogamer News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on March 21, 2026 Microsoft has lost another two long-serving members of its senior team: corporate VP of partnerships, business development, and marketing, Lori [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-1839133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1839133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1839133"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1839133\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1839133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1839133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1839133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}