Microsoft won't name a successor as Dohmke departs to pursue startup ventures, ending GitHub's seven-year independence amid intensifying AI competition.
GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke announced Monday he will step down from his role at the end of 2025, marking the end of the development platform's independence as Microsoft integrates it more closely into its CoreAI organization without naming a successor CEO.
Dohmke, who has led the world's largest code repository since 2021, said in a blog post titled "Auf Wiedersehen, GitHub" that his decision was driven by a desire to return to his entrepreneurial roots after more than a decade at Microsoft.
"After all this time, my startup roots have begun tugging on me and I've decided to leave GitHub to become a founder again," Dohmke wrote. "I'll be staying through the end of 2025 to help guide the transition and am leaving with a deep sense of pride in everything we've built as a remote-first organization spread around the world."
End of Independent Operations
The departure marks a significant shift for GitHub, which Microsoft acquired for $7.5 billion in 2018 with promises that it would "retain its developer-first ethos and operate independently." Now, nearly seven years later, that independence is coming to an end as the platform becomes more tightly integrated into Microsoft's AI strategy.
According to internal memos viewed by Axios and CNBC, Microsoft will not appoint a new GitHub CEO. Instead, the platform's leadership will report directly to Microsoft executives within the CoreAI division, which was established in January under former Meta executive Jay Parikh.
Microsoft developer division head Julia Liuson will oversee GitHub's revenue, engineering, and support operations. GitHub chief product officer Mario Rodriguez will report to Asha Sharma, Microsoft's VP of AI platform. Three other top GitHub executives — Vladimir Fedorov, Kyle Daigle, and Elizabeth Pemmerl — will also report to Liuson, according to a message Parikh sent to employees Monday.
Integration with CoreAI
The integration into CoreAI represents a strategic realignment as Microsoft doubles down on AI development. CEO Satya Nadella announced the CoreAI division in January, citing the need to build an end-to-end AI platform for running AI applications and agents.
"GitHub and its leadership team will continue its mission as part of Microsoft's CoreAI organization, with more details shared soon," Dohmke wrote, though specifics about the organizational changes remain limited.
Jay Parikh, who leads CoreAI, emphasized in his memo to staff that "GitHub leadership team will continue to shape the path ahead," attempting to reassure employees about continuity despite the structural changes.
Asha Sharma, Microsoft's AI platform VP who will oversee parts of GitHub's operations, expressed optimism about the transition on LinkedIn:
"Code is becoming the primary artifact of work in the digital economy — the blueprint for products, services, and experiences. As AI agents take on more of the writing, reviewing, and committing of code, the role of developers – and the importance of coding itself – will only grow."
While Dohmke has not revealed details about his next venture, he indicated he would "become a founder again," potentially creating future competition for GitHub in the rapidly evolving AI development tools market.
