Thomas Dohmke, the Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft-owned GitHub, is stepping down from his role after nearly four years. His departure is prompting a major restructuring that will see the popular software development platform become a more integrated part of Microsoft’s new CoreAI engineering division.
Dohmke, who will remain with the company through the end of 2025 to assist with the transition, cited a desire to return to his “startup roots” as his reason for leaving. He co-founded the startup HockeyApp, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2014, and he later played a key role in Microsoft’s acquisition of GitHub in 2018. The move comes as competition in the AI coding market intensifies, with rival companies like Cursor, Google, and others vying for market share.
The integration of GitHub into Microsoft’s CoreAI division, which was formed earlier this year to accelerate AI development, signifies a strategic shift for the company. Microsoft does not plan to name a new CEO for GitHub, effectively ending its status as a largely separate entity. Instead, GitHub’s leadership will now report to multiple Microsoft executives, with CoreAI head Jay Parikh overseeing the newly integrated group.
During his tenure, Dohmke oversaw the launch and growth of GitHub Copilot, the company’s AI-powered coding assistant, which has reached over 20 million users. Dohmke recently warned developers to “embrace the AI revolution or risk their careers,” underscoring the growing importance of AI tools in software development. By bringing GitHub and its lucrative AI products directly under the CoreAI umbrella, Microsoft appears to be centralizing its efforts to maintain its leadership position in the fiercely competitive AI landscape.