As Xbox undergoes a massive shakeup, with executives Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond both stepping down from their positions, a new report has claimed that the former Xbox president was actually very difficult to work with.
According to a February 23 report from The Verge, current and former Xbox employees were relieved to hear of Bond's departure. Sources reportedly told The Verge that Bond "had been tough to work with," as she allegedly created a work environment where "if you didn't follow the vision or questioned it, you were out."
As the de facto mastermind behind Xbox's controversial "This is an Xbox" campaign, in which Microsoft made it a point to suggest that anything and everything could play Xbox games, The Verge claimed that Bond's strategies had been "failing internally and been questioned multiple times." She also wasn't much of a gamer in the way that Spencer was, with that facet of her public persona supposedly being manufactured solely for appearances.
Despite these issues, sources still praised Bond for her work at Xbox, particularly when it came to her strengths in inking deals with companies and developers. And for her part, she said in her announcement memo that now is the "right time" to step down.
While Bond's departure may feel sudden, it apparently wasn't that surprising to the current and former employees The Verge spoke to. They explained that they "saw the writing on the wall" since last year, especially since her direct reports had changed so frequently.
It's worth noting, though, that Bond is a Black woman in the technology industry. Maybe she did foster a toxic work environment, but the discourse around her departure does highlight the disparity in how we talk about her career versus Spencer's. Not liking someone or finding someone difficult to work with is very common, and while it's certainly possible she was cutthroat in her approach, she is also a woman of color at an executive level in an often white-male-dominated field. That matters, not as a dismissal of her behavior but as a recognition of the work the games and technology industries still need to do.
Spencer has officially retired from Xbox as of today, February 23. Bond, meanwhile, had resigned, suggesting that her departure was in effect immediately. Replacing Spencer is AI Gaming czar Asha Sharma, while Matt Booty has EVP and Chief Content Officer.
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According to a February 23 report from The Verge, current and former Xbox employees were relieved to hear of Bond's departure. Sources reportedly told The Verge that Bond "had been tough to work with," as she allegedly created a work environment where "if you didn't follow the vision or questioned it, you were out."
As the de facto mastermind behind Xbox's controversial "This is an Xbox" campaign, in which Microsoft made it a point to suggest that anything and everything could play Xbox games, The Verge claimed that Bond's strategies had been "failing internally and been questioned multiple times." She also wasn't much of a gamer in the way that Spencer was, with that facet of her public persona supposedly being manufactured solely for appearances.
Despite these issues, sources still praised Bond for her work at Xbox, particularly when it came to her strengths in inking deals with companies and developers. And for her part, she said in her announcement memo that now is the "right time" to step down.
While Bond's departure may feel sudden, it apparently wasn't that surprising to the current and former employees The Verge spoke to. They explained that they "saw the writing on the wall" since last year, especially since her direct reports had changed so frequently.
It's worth noting, though, that Bond is a Black woman in the technology industry. Maybe she did foster a toxic work environment, but the discourse around her departure does highlight the disparity in how we talk about her career versus Spencer's. Not liking someone or finding someone difficult to work with is very common, and while it's certainly possible she was cutthroat in her approach, she is also a woman of color at an executive level in an often white-male-dominated field. That matters, not as a dismissal of her behavior but as a recognition of the work the games and technology industries still need to do.
Spencer has officially retired from Xbox as of today, February 23. Bond, meanwhile, had resigned, suggesting that her departure was in effect immediately. Replacing Spencer is AI Gaming czar Asha Sharma, while Matt Booty has EVP and Chief Content Officer.
Source