Helen Chiang has publicly disputed claims that she was terminated by Microsoft for policy violations, three months after becoming the Xbox division’s first chief operating officer. In a lengthy LinkedIn post, Chiang said she wanted to “set the record straight” about her departure.
Chiang denied leaking confidential company information to the press, leaving Xbox to join a competitor, or engaging in discrimination, bullying, harassment, insider trading, embezzlement or other fraudulent activity. She also rejected the suggestion that she left because she was passed over for a more senior position.
Her statement did not explain the specific reason she left Microsoft. However, Chiang said she had “serious concerns” about how the standards involved in her case were applied, arguing that fairness and accountability only have meaning when they are applied consistently.
The departure was notable given Chiang’s long career at Microsoft. Before taking the Xbox COO role in July, she had spent more than 20 years at the company, most of that time within the Xbox division. She became Xbox’s platform business manager in 2007 and later served as corporate vice president of the Minecraft franchise from 2020 for more than six years.
The announcement of her exit was brief. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma wrote that Chiang was leaving Microsoft and thanked her for her years of service while wishing her well.
Chiang said she did not want her departure reduced to an inaccurate account involving incompetence, ambition for a larger role or what she described as a “Nelson-level scandal.” Instead, she said, her story was about remaining faithful to her core values during a difficult situation.
Microsoft had been contacted for comment on Chiang’s statement, but no response was included in the available report.
Sources: PC Gamer.