Trending Now - Xbox Strengthens Leadership With New Chief Strategy Officer
WHO:
The Game Business - Matthew Ball is the CEO of Epyllion and a venture partner at Makers Fund, as well as a senior advisor at KKR & Co.
The Game Business - Scott Van Vliet previously worked on the Minecraft: Fire TV Edition and has a background in games at Amazon.
Variety - Matthew Ball has been hired as Xbox's Chief Strategy Officer.
Techmeme - Scott Van Vliet has been named Xbox's Chief Technology Officer.
The Game Business - Asha Sharma is the new CEO of Xbox.
WHAT:
The Game Business - Ball's first job will be to strengthen the console side of Xbox, which is facing significant pressures from rising costs of memory and storage.
The Game Business - Chris Schnakenberg was previously VP of partnerships and business development at Xbox and joined from Activision Blizzard, where he spent 12 years.
Variety - Xbox announced the hiring of Matthew Ball and Scott Van Vliet as part of leadership changes.
The Game Business - Ball's first job will be to strengthen the console side of Xbox, which is facing pressures from rising costs of memory and storage.
The Game Business - Chris Schnakenberg has been promoted to Corporate Vice President, Partnerships & Business Development.
WHERE:
The Game Business - Xbox is based in the gaming industry, which includes various locations where its products are developed and sold.
WHEN:
The Game Business - Matthew Ball is scheduled to speak with Christopher Dring at The Game Business Live on Monday, June 8.
WHY:
The Game Business - The leadership changes are aimed at strengthening Xbox's foundation, creating more clarity, and improving execution as they prepare for future projects.
HOW:
The Game Business - Asha Sharma stated, “These changes are about strengthening our foundation by creating more clarity and improving execution.”
The Game Business - The new hires and promotions are part of an ongoing drive by Asha Sharma to move faster, build better products, and make more focused business decisions.
(UPDATED May 21, 2026 01:40 UTC)
Matthew Ball has been appointed to strengthen the console side of Xbox, which is currently facing challenges due to rising costs of memory and storage. He joins a team that includes Scott Van Vliet, who has a background in games at Amazon and previously worked on Minecraft: Fire TV Edition, as well as Chris Schnakenberg, who transitioned from Activision Blizzard after serving as VP of partnerships and business development at Xbox. Asha Sharma emphasized that these changes aim to create more clarity and improve execution within the organization.
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(UPDATED May 20, 2026 19:43 UTC)
Xbox has announced significant leadership changes, hiring Matthew Ball as Chief Strategy Officer and Scott Van Vliet as Chief Technology Officer, while promoting Chris Schnakenberg to Corporate Vice President of Partnerships & Business Development. Ball's initial focus will be to enhance the console side of Xbox, which is currently facing challenges due to rising costs of memory and storage. Matthew Ball is set to discuss these developments with Christopher Dring at The Game Business Live on Monday, June 8, as the company aims to strengthen its foundation and improve execution for future projects.