Microsoft CFO Amy Hood urges employees to embrace "intensity, clarity, and bold execution" in a post-earnings memo, highlighting record Azure growth and reinforcing CEO Satya Nadella’s vision for FY26 amid ongoing workforce reductions.

Microsoft CFO Amy Hood has urged employees to prepare for another year of "intensity" in an internal memo following the company’s record-breaking quarterly earnings. The software giant reported a $27 billion profit, underscoring its strong financial performance despite ongoing workforce reductions. In her quarterly update, Hood emphasized that the upcoming fiscal year, FY26, will demand "intensity, clarity, and bold execution" from teams across the organization. She referenced a recent message from CEO Satya Nadella, who described the current moment as an "enigma of success" — a reference to the apparent contradiction between soaring profits and the company’s decision to cut more than 10,000 jobs this year. Hood’s memo reinforced Nadella’s message, highlighting key priorities: security, quality, and AI transformation. She noted that Azure revenue surpassed $75 billion for the first time, marking a 34% year-over-year increase. This milestone was disclosed publicly for the first time, signaling the cloud division’s growing importance to Microsoft’s overall strategy. While Hood’s email echoed the company’s public financial results, it also served as a cultural signal. The repeated use of the term "intensity" reflects a broader trend in tech, where companies are pushing for higher performance, faster innovation, and leaner operations — often through significant restructuring. Notably, the memo made no mention of the layoffs, leaving some employees questioning how the company can maintain momentum while reducing headcount. Nadella’s attempt to frame the cuts as necessary for long-term growth and agility has not fully quelled concerns among staff. Hood concluded her message with a call to action, expressing excitement about Microsoft’s role in shaping the next wave of innovation. She stressed the company’s mission to deliver impact at scale for customers, partners, and communities worldwide. Microsoft has not commented on the content of Hood’s internal communication. The memo underscores the dual pressures facing tech leaders today: sustaining explosive growth while managing internal transformation in a high-stakes, rapidly evolving industry.