Asha Sharma, New Xbox CEO, Credits Success to Excelling at Present Tasks Rather Than Planning Career Path
Asha Sharma, who became Xbox CEO in February 2025, attributes her rise through Microsoft, Meta, and other companies to focusing on excellence in her current role rather than obsessing over future career goals. She began her career in the Midwest doing various jobs—from taking out trash to selling coupon books—and applied this philosophy of earning the next opportunity through strong performance. Her appointment comes as Xbox faces declining hardware and content revenue, with Sharma already implementing changes like cutting Game Pass prices and hinting at new exclusive games.
Asha Sharma became CEO of Xbox in February 2025, a position that surprised some observers given her lack of gaming industry background. At Fortune's Brainstorm Tech conference, Sharma explained that her career success stemmed from a consistent philosophy: focusing on excelling at whatever job she held rather than pursuing a predetermined dream career. Her career path included roles in marketing at Microsoft, a COO position at startup Porch Group, product leadership at Meta, and a COO role at Instacart before returning to Microsoft as president of CoreAI product in 2024. The Xbox division she now leads faces significant challenges, with hardware revenue down 33% year-over-year and content and services revenue down 5%, while competitors Sony and Nintendo have gained ground. Early in her tenure, Sharma has made strategic moves including reducing Game Pass prices and signaling new exclusive game offerings, while emphasizing a philosophy of needing to "earn every single player." Her approach reflects a broader trend among business leaders who credit flexibility and excellence in current roles over rigid long-term planning.
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Xbox’s CEO spent her early career taking out trash and selling coupon books—she says the secret to her rise was never obsessing over a dream career
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