In a bold organizational shift, Microsoft has appointed Judson Althoff, the longtime sales leader, to the newly created role of CEO of Commercial Business. This change enables CEO Satya Nadella to fully dedicate his efforts to advancing Microsoft’s artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities as the tech giant aims to lead the AI revolution.
The commercial business division, which accounts for over 75% of Microsoft’s annual revenue, around $220 billion, is now under Althoff’s stewardship. His responsibility spans sales, marketing, and operations worldwide, making him a pivotal figure in driving Microsoft’s continued commercial success.
Satya Nadella described the reorganization in an internal memo as essential to navigating the “tectonic AI platform shift” the company is undergoing. The move allows Nadella and engineering leaders to concentrate intensely on technical innovation in AI science, datacenter infrastructure, systems architecture, and product development.
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Althoff will lead a newly formed commercial leadership team integrating expertise from sales, marketing, operations, finance, and engineering to effectively execute Microsoft’s commercial strategy at scale. The restructuring builds on Althoff’s previous successes in unifying global sales and marketing functions for resource efficiency and growth acceleration.
Strong Commercial Growth Leadership
Judson Althoff joined Microsoft in 2013 from Oracle, where he held senior sales roles across global channels and alliances. He rose steadily within Microsoft, from president of Microsoft North America to executive vice president of worldwide commercial business and chief commercial officer.
Under Althoff’s leadership, Microsoft has experienced consistent commercial cloud revenue growth, transforming its customer and partner solutions into the industry’s leading growth engine. Nadella referred to Althoff as the architect behind this transformation, highlighting his key role in Microsoft’s commercial expansion.
Background: Who is Judson Althoff?
Judson Althoff is the executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Microsoft Corporation’s Worldwide Commercial Business. He joined Microsoft in 2013 as president of Microsoft North America, spearheading substantial growth in commercial and public sector markets. Prior to Microsoft, Althoff held senior global sales leadership roles at Oracle and EMC, focusing on alliances, channels, and embedded sales.
He earned a mechanical engineering degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology and serves on boards such as Ecolab and as co-chair of Seattle’s WE Day. Althoff’s leadership is credited with one of the largest sales and commercial transformations in Microsoft’s history, positioning the company for growth in the competitive AI-driven technology space.
