Xbox chief Phil Spencer promoted to Microsoft leadership group

Microsoft has promoted Xbox chief Phil Spencer to executive vice president of gaming at the company, elevating him to a position on its senior leadership team.

Spencer is one of the top leaders in the game industry, and he has been at Microsoft since 1988. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella informed employees today that Spencer had a new title and he is now part of the senior leadership team, which has 16 top execs at Microsoft. The appointment shows that games remain an important part of Microsoft’s overall agenda, and that Spencer will have voice in the big decisions at the company. Games have been an important driver of attention and community at Microsoft, enabling the company to drive huge audiences for titles such as Gears of War, Forza Motorsport, and Halo. But they are a relatively small part of the company’s overall profits.