At the GeekWire Summit held in Seattle on October 5, 2021, Christopher Young, the executive vice president of business development at Microsoft, took the stage to share insights. This annual gathering is a hotspot for leaders in business, technology, and community sectors, who come together to discuss future trends.
In a recent regulatory filing announced on Wednesday, it was disclosed that Chris Young, who played a pivotal role in Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, is stepping down after nearly four years in his current role. The company hasn’t named a successor yet.
Chris Young joined Microsoft in 2020, following a tenure as CEO at McAfee, where he spearheaded the company’s separation from Intel. Before his time at McAfee, he had held significant roles at companies like Cisco and RSA.
During his stint at Microsoft, Young was part of the senior leadership team, working closely with CEO Satya Nadella and Amy Hood, the finance chief. Reporting directly to Nadella, he was one of Microsoft’s highest compensated executives, taking home $12 million in total compensation in the fiscal year 2024.
Young’s responsibilities at Microsoft included overseeing the M12 corporate venture capital unit — known for its investments in startups such as Innovaccer, Outreach, PsiQuantum, Skedulo, and Typeface. M12 announced in 2023 a closer collaboration with Microsoft to better support the entities in its portfolio.
One of Young’s notable contributions was his involvement in Microsoft’s landmark $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision in 2023. He also played a part in strengthening Microsoft’s partnership with the AI startup OpenAI and inked an advertising deal with Netflix.
Reflecting on his departure, Young shared on LinkedIn, “As I spend the next several weeks supporting a smooth transition, I’m grateful for this chapter and am inspired by the possibilities the AI era presents for transformation and growth.” He hinted at a return to entrepreneurship but left details for the future.
Young, a significant Black executive figure at Microsoft, was a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in tech — a contribution recognized by the company in a filing last year.
While Microsoft hasn’t recently commented on its diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies, the tech industry’s broader rollback since the political shifts in November included remarks from companies like Amazon and Meta, which announced the suspension and cancellation of various DEI programs.
In December, though, Microsoft’s chief diversity officer reaffirmed that their ongoing efforts in diversity and inclusion are “more important than ever.”
For a deeper dive, watch how Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella discusses their $500 billion Stargate project and ongoing partnership with OpenAI.
