NEW YORK CITY (VINnews)- Microsoft has appointed Daniel Shapero, chief operating officer of its LinkedIn subsidiary, as the professional networking platform’s next CEO.

Shapero, a longtime LinkedIn veteran who joined the company in May 2008 as employee “#300ish,” succeeds Ryan Roslansky, who led LinkedIn since 2020 and will now serve as executive vice president overseeing both LinkedIn and Microsoft Office. The change took effect immediately, the company announced this week.

“I joined LinkedIn in May 2008 … and it’s easy to say that my time at the company has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life,” Shapero wrote in a LinkedIn post announcing his new role. LinkedIn, which Microsoft acquired in 2016, now has close to 1.5 billion users worldwide.

While Shapero rarely speaks publicly about his Jewish background, he has shared family stories of resilience and overcoming discrimination. In a 2019 episode of the “Disrupt Yourself Podcast,” he highlighted how his Jewish immigrant grandparents opened businesses in Maine and Pennsylvania.

In a LinkedIn post, he also recounted that his great-uncle faced antisemitic barriers and was denied entry to medical school, leading him instead to become a pharmacist.

Shapero previously held leadership roles at LinkedIn in sales, marketing and product. He will report to Roslansky as the company continues to expand its use of artificial intelligence tools.