Windows 11

Project: Windows 11 - a major platform initiative across Microsoft to introduce the next generation of the Windows OS, requiring that Microsoft’s immersive computing stack remained stable, performant, and fully supported as Windows transitioned to its next operating system. This work spanned OS-level integration, device-level compatibility, performance tuning, UX refinement, and cross-team collaboration with OEM partners such as HP, Samsung, Lenovo, Asus, Dell, Acer, and others. The effort ensured that the entire Windows Mixed Reality ecosystem - headsets, controllers, sensors, and platform features - continued to deliver a consistent, high-quality experience on Windows 11 for both consumers and enterprise users.

Final Role / Title: Program Manager II (full time) - partnered with Windows engineering teams, Mixed Reality platform groups, and external hardware manufacturers to support OS migration readiness and platform validation for Windows Mixed Reality on Windows 11. Coordinated cross-functional alignment across software, hardware, and partner teams, validated system-level performance and compatibility, and contributed to launch-critical workflows ensuring that Windows Mixed Reality devices and features met Microsoft’s quality, reliability, and user‑experience standards throughout the Windows 11 transition.

What is Windows 11?

Windows 11 is the latest version Microsoft’s Windows operating system (OS) that was originally released in 2021 as a successor to the Windows 10 operating system. Windows 11 is particularly notable for the significant improvements made to the Windows OS “shell”, otherwise known as the actual visual graphical user interface (GUI) the physical user interacts with.

Key Features of Windows 11 include:

  • Redesigned Windows Start Menu

  • Introduction of Windows Taskbar’s ‘Widgets’ Panel

  • New Microsoft Edge Browsing Experience

  • Full Microsoft Teams Integration

  • New tiled Windows Screen Templates to help Organize On-Screen Apps

  • New Gaming Capabilities: Auto HDR & Direct Storage

Role & Responsibilities

  • Served as the primary representative for the Microsoft Mixed Reality organization within the broader “Big Windows” launch team, ensuring that Windows Mixed Reality and HoloLens 2 requirements, dependencies, and business priorities were fully integrated into Windows 11 planning and execution.

  • Partnered directly with Windows engineering leadership and C-suite stakeholders, acting as the Mixed Reality organization’s voice in monitoring and upholding the in-market quality bar for Windows 11. Provided clear, data-driven insights into device health, user experience, and platform readiness.

  • Led the development of Windows-based privacy and security control points for the Mixed Reality device portfolio, establishing principles and processes governing how company and user data is collected, handled, stored, and retired. Ensured compliance with evolving privacy expectations and enterprise requirements.

  • Championed cross‑company accessibility (“A11yship”) initiatives, driving efforts to expand and improve accessibility options for Windows Mixed Reality users - particularly those with limited mobility or interaction capabilities - through OS-level features and platform-wide design guidance.

  • Contributed to the design and rollout of key user-requested features within Windows 11’s Mixed Reality experience, including the introduction of the “Infinite Expanse” virtual home environment and multiple Windows Settings enhancements that improved usability and configuration options for third‑party headsets.

Challenges, Learnings, & Career Impact

Supporting the Windows 11 launch as the Mixed Reality organization’s representative brought a uniquely complex set of challenges. Because Windows 11 touched nearly every corner of Microsoft’s ecosystem, I needed to maintain a constantly evolving understanding of initiatives across accessibility, security, privacy, quality, servicing, and OS-level feature development. Staying aligned required ongoing engagement with teams across the broader Windows organization, learning their priorities, understanding their roadmaps, and identifying where their work intersected with Mixed Reality investments.

The reciprocal challenge was equally significant: ensuring those same partner teams had clear visibility into the Mixed Reality division’s plans, changes, and upcoming deliverables. This meant translating highly technical platform updates into actionable insights for groups preparing to inherit or integrate our work, and ensuring that Mixed Reality remained represented in conversations that shaped the future of Windows.

This role strengthened my ability to operate within a large, distributed organizational matrix, where success depends on proactive communication, cross-team empathy, and a deep understanding of how individual components contribute to the broader product ecosystem. It taught me how to advocate effectively for platform-level needs, how to identify opportunities for collaboration across disciplines, and how to ensure that complex, interdependent systems land smoothly in a major OS release.

Where to get Windows 11

Windows 11 was originally released in October 2021 (current availability may vary).

Windows 11 - Links & Media