After holding the role for the last six years, LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky announced he’s stepping down in order to take on a new position focused on artificial intelligence transformation within parent company Microsoft.
Roslansky oversaw a period of solid growth for LinkedIn after taking over the role from Jeff Weiner in 2020. Since then, LinkedIn has continued to grow its ad business and expand its global footprint, though over the last year or so, Roslansky has been increasingly focused on AI. That pivot even resulted in him publishing a book on how AI will impact the workforce.
Now, Roslansky will make AI his primary focus.
As per Roslansky: “Last year when Satya Nadella asked me to lead LinkedIn and Microsoft Office, I knew what he was betting on: 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. That opportunity is only getting bigger. So we’re scaling the team and talent to match it.”
Like most of the staff at LinkedIn, and Microsoft more broadly, Roslansky is betting on AI being a transformative technology that will change the way that people live, and more importantly work, on a broad scale.
Microsoft will shift Roslansky into its Office AI development group, which will see him put more emphasis on expanding its AI tools and providing more AI options within its Office apps.
LinkedIn’s current COO Daniel Shapero will take over the CEO role and will continue to report to Roslansky.
Shapero has been with LinkedIn since May 2008, and his tenure gives him a unique perspective on the development of the business.
“Dan has led sales, marketing, and product across the most important parts of this business. He knows our members, our customers, and carries the mission in a way that’s genuinely rare,” Roslansky said.
Shapero said that he will be focused on driving more economic opportunity at LinkedIn, and will remain committed to ensuring that professionals are able to align their careers with the development of the latest AI tools and processes.
Given Shapero’s experience at LinkedIn, it seems unlikely that the change in leadership will significantly alter the direction of the app, as Shapero is more likely to stay the current course and continue to expand on LinkedIn’s AI development.
But it’s another shift in the social media landscape, which could impact the future direction of the platform.
