By Emma Thompson
Publication Date: 2026-11-03 01:00:00
Naria Santa Lucia has announced her departure from Microsoft after seven years, most recently serving as General Manager of Microsoft Elevate, where she led international initiatives focused on digital skills, AI training and workforce development.
Reflecting on her time at Microsoft in a LinkedIn post, Santa Lucia highlighted the scale of the initiatives she had worked on, including “helping over 100 million people from around 21+ countries develop digital and AI skills,” alongside developing and launching the Global Skills Initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her departure follows a period of leadership across Microsoft Philanthropies and Microsoft Elevate, including the development of the Global Skills Initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic, work on the company’s Racial Equity Initiative and the launch of Microsoft Elevate.
She has not announced a new employer or formal appointment, but intends to continue working with nonprofit organizations and communities through…
