Microsoft invited renowned analyst Matthew Ball to help improve the Xbox strategy

Microsoft Strengthens Xbox Team with New Leaders

As part of an ongoing reshuffle in the gaming division’s leadership, Microsoft announced two key appointments.

1. New Director of Strategy
* Matthew Ball – a well‑known game industry analyst who has been appointed as Xbox’s new Director of Strategy.
* He has already been advising management since joining the company three months ago and will officially start this month.
* Previously, Ball held positions at Amazon Studios, Illumination, and Accenture Strategy, and he publishes annual reports on the video‑game market.

2. New Chief Technology Officer
* Scott Van Vliet – named as Xbox’s CTO.
* Before moving to the gaming division, he led Azure’s AI infrastructure and worked on Fire TV and the App Store at Amazon.
* Van Vliet has been an active member of the Xbox community since 2002, when he participated in beta testing Live. He will begin work after the upcoming Showcase presentation.

Reporting Structure
The appointment of a CTO does not change the organizational scheme for other departments:

* The hardware, operating system, and Helix project teams continue to report directly to the CEO.

Additional Changes
* Chris Schnakenberg was promoted to Corporate Vice President for Partner Relations and Business Development.
* As part of the previous wave of reshuffles, Sharma transferred employees from Microsoft CoreAI to the gaming division.

Purpose of the Changes
Xbox CEO Ash Sharma emphasized that the goal is “to establish clear foundations, improve execution, and prepare the brand for future releases.” She said further adjustments will be implemented as Showcase approaches and thereafter to ensure a successful future for Xbox.