On September 28, 2026, Microsoft made a significant announcement: Dr. Zhang Qi, serving as both Global Senior Vice President and Corporate Vice President at Microsoft (Asia) Internet Engineering Institute, has been appointed as the Chairman of Microsoft Asia Pacific R&D Group. He will take over from Dr. Wang Yongdong, who is set to retire. Dr. Zhang Qi boasts a remarkable tenure of over twenty years with Microsoft, during which he has dedicated himself to pioneering areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data. His expertise has been instrumental in the business growth of key products like Microsoft 365, Copilot, and Windows, where he has championed technological advancements and seamless integration between technology and business operations. With a wealth of experience in AI platform development, product innovation, and the commercialization of cutting-edge technologies, Dr. Zhang Qi is poised to lead Microsoft Asia Pacific R&D Group into a new era of innovation and success.