On September 12, 2024, Microsoft announced the appointment of Carolina Dybeck Happe as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, a newly created position.

In her new role, Happe will report directly to CEO Satya Nadella and is expected to play a crucial part in driving business process improvement and AI transformation.

Her appointment aligns with Microsoft's strategic push to dominate the cloud services market and enhance investments in artificial intelligence.

This role is distinct from that of her predecessor, Kevin Turner, and reflects Microsoft's long-term commitment to AI.

Happe brings a strong background in global business leadership, having previously served as CFO at General Electric, where she was instrumental in the company's significant turnaround.

During her tenure at GE, she managed the reduction of over $100 billion in debt and oversaw the spin-off of its energy infrastructure unit.

Her extensive experience includes senior finance roles at A.P. Moller - Maersk and Assa Abloy, further solidifying her qualifications for this strategic position.

Analysts have noted that Happe's role may also address operational reliability issues, particularly in light of recent incidents like the CrowdStrike outage affecting Microsoft devices.

Nadella emphasized the need for improved operational excellence, focusing on security, quality, and customer delivery.

This leadership change follows other significant appointments at Microsoft, including the hiring of AI industry veterans to bolster its AI initiatives.

Happe recently relocated to Medina, Washington, purchasing a home there just three months ago.

Nadella expressed optimism about the progress the company will make under Happe's leadership as they focus on continuous improvement.