Microsoft has reorganized the Outlook team, appointing a new leader with the goal of reimagining its email client for the AI era.
Gaurav Sareen, Microsoft's corporate vice president of Worldwide Experiences and Platform, stated in an internal memo, "We have the opportunity to reimagine Outlook from the ground up, not simply add AI to existing features."
Sareen takes over direct leadership of the Outlook team, replacing Lynn Ayres, who will be taking a leave of absence. His memo outlines a vision for transforming Outlook from a traditional email tool into something more like an assistant. "Think of Outlook as your 'alternative'—a companion that makes work less overwhelming and more accessible because you're not facing it alone. With Copilot, this 'alternative' becomes even more powerful, transforming Outlook from a tool to a proactive, collaborative partner."
Sareen envisions a future where Outlook automatically reads emails, composes replies, and schedules all of your schedules. To achieve this, Microsoft will need to adjust its team structure and accelerate its development pace. He expects feature experiments to happen weekly, rather than quarterly, and emphasizes "rapid prototyping and testing in days, not months."
AI will be deeply integrated into Outlook's design, development, and release processes. Sareen stated, "AI is more than just a product feature; it will shape our culture and allow us to move at the speed we need today."
The Outlook team faces pressure to bring AI-powered innovations to an email client relied upon by millions of users. Microsoft's last major overhaul was the web-based "One Outlook," launched several years ago to replace Outlook for Windows, Mac, and the web. In recent years, Microsoft has struggled to refine that client and align it with existing desktop application standards.
Sareen hopes the team has the courage to let go of old ways and move forward even when "waiting for something easier." One Outlook presents a significant challenge for Microsoft, and incorporating unproven AI features into a highly relied-on email system is even more challenging. Executives around the world rely on Outlook calendars daily, and Microsoft must be cautious in rolling out AI features that could potentially alter workflows.
IT Home reported that the challenge facing Roslansky and Sareen is convincing Microsoft employees that rebuilding Outlook for AI is the right choice. Despite skepticism among many employees about Microsoft's AI plans, Outlook's leadership remains ambitious. "Next year, every product will claim to be AI-native. Some teams simply tack on AI for publicity, while others will rebuild the product and culture from scratch to truly implement AI. I'm betting on my leadership skills that we will be the latter."
