Microsoft Picks Daniel Shapero as New LinkedIn CEO as Part of Major Management Shuffle

LinkedIn, the professional networking platform, has gone through a major management change, and the Microsoft-owned company on Wednesday announced its new CEO. Moreover, LinkedIn's Senior VP of Engineering will take on a new role overseeing Microsoft's platforms. However, the two executives will continue to report to LinkedIn's outgoing CEO as he continues to work in his capacity as the Executive Vice President at Microsoft. This comes as the company focuses on deeper integration of AI in its products, such as the Microsoft Office suite.

Ryan Roslansky Will Continue to Serve as Executive Vice President at Microsoft

In a post on the professional networking platform, Ryan Roslansky announced that he has resigned from his position as the CEO of LinkedIn. However, the executive will continue to serve as the Executive Vice President at Microsoft, overseeing the development of Microsoft-owned platforms and its Office suite. “AI is going to transform how people work and grow in their careers faster than most people expect. And LinkedIn and Office would be at the center of that,” he said.

Roslansky has named Daniel Shapero as his successor, who has already assumed charge as the company's new head. On why Shapero was named as the new CEO, Roslansky said, “He knows our members, our customers, and carries the mission in a way that's genuinely rare.”

On top of this, the outgoing CEO has announced that the company's Indian-origin Senior Vice President of Engineering, Mohak Shroff, will also be moving on from his role, while moving up in ranks within Microsoft, assuming charge as the President, Platforms & Digital Work. Shroff will lead Microsoft-owned technology platforms, while also focusing on “long-term innovations” at LinkedIn and Microsoft Office.

While Roslansky has quit as the CEO, the two executives moving into their new roles will be reporting directly to him. He joined LinkedIn in May 2009 as the Chief Product Officer. He was then promoted to take over as CEO of the company in May 2020, a role he held for 5 years and 11 months. However, Roslansky only assumed his position as the Executive Vice President at Microsoft in June last year.

Shapero has been associated with LinkedIn for a longer time than Roslansky, having joined the company as Vice President (VP) of Global Sales in 2008. He was later promoted to the position of VP Product in 2014. Shapero has also served as the Chief Business Officer at LinkedIn between February 2019 and January 2021. In January 2021, he finally assumed his former designation as the Chief Operating Officer.

On his assuming the LinkedIn CEO position, Shapero said, "As I step into this role, similar to how I have approached new responsibilities in the past, I'll start by learning and listening, connecting with our team, members, creators, and customers, each of whom makes LinkedIn the platform that helps create economic opportunity."