Chris Young, Microsoft's Business Development Chief, has Resigned

Chris Young, Microsoft's head of business development who helped orchestrate the software giant's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, is leaving his position after about four years, the company announced in a regulatory filing. No successor was named.

Young joined Microsoft in 2020 after nearly three years as CEO of McAfee, where he led the company's separation from Intel. He previously held executive positions at Cisco and RSA.

Young served on Microsoft's senior leadership team, alongside CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood. He reported to Nadella. According to a filing, Young received $12 million in total compensation for the fiscal year 2024, making him one of the highest-paid Microsoft employees.

The M12 corporate venture capital unit, part of Young's organization, has made investments in startups such as Innovaccer, Outreach, PsiQuantum, Skedulo, and Typeface. M12 stated in 2023 that it would collaborate with Microsoft more in the future to better support portfolio companies.

In 2023, Microsoft completed its largest-ever acquisition of video game publisher Activision, paying $68.7 billion. Young also contributed to Microsoft's expansion of its advertising agreement with Netflix and its partnership with the artificial intelligence startup OpenAI.

"I'm grateful for this chapter and am inspired by the possibilities the AI era presents for transformation and growth as I spend the next several weeks supporting a smooth transition," Young wrote in a LinkedIn post. "I'm thrilled about what lies ahead, and my entrepreneurial roots are calling me." He gave no specifics.

In a 2023 filing, Microsoft stated that Young, one of the company's most well-known Black executives, "provided thought leadership on the importance of diversity and inclusion in the technology industry."

Since President Donald Trump was reelected in November, there has been a larger industry backlash, even though Microsoft hasn't recently commented on its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. According to Amazon, Meta's DEI programs are being canceled, and some of its programs are being put on hold.

Microsoft's chief diversity officer declared in December that the company's efforts in the field were "more important than ever."