Sarah Bond(II)
Sarah Bond is an American business executive and the former President of Xbox at Microsoft, where she became the first Black woman to lead a major global gaming platform. Known for her strategic vision and advocacy for industry diversity, she played a foundational role in modernising the Xbox ecosystem, shifting its focus from traditional hardware-locked gaming to a multi-platform "play anywhere" model.
Bond's career began at McKinsey & Company as an associate partner before she transitioned to T-Mobile, where she served as chief of staff to the CEO and senior vice president of corporate strategy. She joined Microsoft in 2017 and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a key architect of the Xbox Game Pass subscription service and leading the high-profile $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In October 2023, she was promoted to President of Xbox, overseeing everything from hardware development to player experiences. In early 2026, she transitioned into a Special Advisor role following a major leadership restructuring at Microsoft Gaming.
Throughout her tenure, Bond has been a vocal champion for inclusion and creator empowerment. She served as the executive sponsor for the Blacks @ Microsoft employee resource group and spearheaded the Xbox Developer Acceleration Program, which supports underrepresented developers in bringing their games to market.
Bond's career began at McKinsey & Company as an associate partner before she transitioned to T-Mobile, where she served as chief of staff to the CEO and senior vice president of corporate strategy. She joined Microsoft in 2017 and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a key architect of the Xbox Game Pass subscription service and leading the high-profile $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In October 2023, she was promoted to President of Xbox, overseeing everything from hardware development to player experiences. In early 2026, she transitioned into a Special Advisor role following a major leadership restructuring at Microsoft Gaming.
Throughout her tenure, Bond has been a vocal champion for inclusion and creator empowerment. She served as the executive sponsor for the Blacks @ Microsoft employee resource group and spearheaded the Xbox Developer Acceleration Program, which supports underrepresented developers in bringing their games to market.
