Microsoft employees should strap in for another year of “intensity,” according to the software giant’s top finance executive.
Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood sent an email to employees on Wednesday after the company reported a $27 billion quarterly profit, telling them the year ahead will require “intensity, clarity, and bold execution.”
Hood sends out these emails every quarter when Microsoft discloses its financials. Her missives mostly rehash what the company reports publicly, such as how revenue and profit are growing.
Sometimes, though, Hood’s emails provide insight into what the company’s top executives deem most important and what they want employees to know.
This time, Hood highlighted updates she said were personal “reminders of the scale and importance of the product and services our customers count on us to deliver.” She noted that Azure revenue reached more than $75 billion — the first time the company has disclosed this number — and grew 34%.
What perhaps stood out most was Hood’s message to employees, reiterating priorities for the upcoming year, and citing a memo from CEO Satya Nadella last week.
“We’re entering FY26 with clear priorities in security, quality, and Al transformation, building on our momentum and grounded in our mission and growth-mindset culture,” Hood wrote, mentioning Nadella’s email. “Both the pace of change and customer expectations are continuously accelerating.”
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Hood’s email, notably, did not mention Microsoft’s recent workforce cuts, which have exceeded 10,000 this year even as profit swells. Nadella’s email last week attempted to explain this “seeming incongruence” as the “enigma of success.” Some employees weren’t satisfied with the explanation.
Hood’s email expanded on Nadella’s thoughts by telling employees the upcoming fiscal year will require “intensity,” which has become a buzzword in the tech industry as companies dial up performance pressure and make significant workforce cuts.
“FY26 will require intensity, clarity, and bold execution,” Hood wrote. “I’m excited about what we’ll accomplish together as we lead in this next frontier of innovation — driving impact at scale for every customer, every partner, and every community we serve around the world.”
Microsoft did not comment on Hood’s memo.
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