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Nov 20, 2025 4:50 AM

Satya Nadella Turns To Cloud Playbook For AI Era, Appoints Veteran Rolf Harms To Lead Business Model Overhaul: Report

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella is reportedly set to revolutionize the company’s business model for the AI era, similar to what the software giant did with the cloud, and he has appointed a key executive to lead this transformation.

Nadella Wants To Replicate Cloud Success

Nadella has chosen Rolf Harms as an advisor for AI economics to help execute this ambitious plan, reported Business Insider on Wednesday, citing an internal memo.

Harms, who played a significant role in Microsoft’s cloud reboot 15 years ago, authored the influential white paper “Economics of the Cloud” in 2010. This paper was a turning point for Microsoft’s cloud computing success, reshaping the company’s business models and justifying its investments in large-scale cloud services.

Nadella says AI needs a similar reboot, and has broadened Harms' role so he ...