Helen Chiang, former chief operating officer of Xbox, has publicly addressed her sudden departure from Microsoft less than two weeks after leaving the company. Chiang had been promoted to the role in July, following 21 years at Microsoft.
In a lengthy LinkedIn post titled “clarity is kindness,” Chiang confirmed that she was dismissed but did not explain why. She rejected a report that she had been terminated for policy violations, calling that account inaccurate.
Chiang also denied rumors that she had leaked confidential information or left Microsoft to join a competitor. She said the decision to leave Xbox was not hers and emphasized her longstanding loyalty to the people and teams she had worked with.
The former executive further denied allegations involving discrimination, bullying, harassment, insider trading, embezzlement or other fraudulent conduct. She said she stood by both her professional record and the way she had treated people throughout her career.
Chiang’s strongest criticism focused on fairness and accountability. She said organizational standards only have meaning when they are applied consistently, adding that she had “serious concerns” about how those standards were applied in her case and believed those concerns should be taken seriously.
“This is not how I ever imagined my story here would end,” Chiang wrote, adding that the circumstances did not represent the whole story.
The report’s publisher said it had contacted Chiang to ask whether she was considering legal action against Microsoft. Microsoft was also asked to comment on her post but had not responded by the time of publication.
Sources: The Verge.