Amy E. Hood
Duke University alumna and Microsoft Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Amy E. Hood ’94 has said, “Every step, every risk I took, built confidence.”
It’s a perspective forged over time — and one she will share with the Class of 2026 when she returns to Wallace Wade Stadium on Sunday, May 10, as the 2026 Commencement speaker.
Hood has served as Microsoft’s EVP and CFO since 2013. Microsoft’s stock value increased nearly 300 percent during her first five years in the role, and the company today ranks among the world’s most valuable by market capitalization.
During her tenure, she has been a strategic partner to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and helped oversee several high-profile acquisitions, including LinkedIn, GitHub and Activision Blizzard. These landmark deals were central to Hood’s successful efforts to transform Microsoft’s financial strategy, accelerating its leadership in cloud computing and expanding its growth in artificial intelligence and gaming.
Beyond financial performance, Hood has championed social impact initiatives, including Microsoft’s commitment to becoming carbon negative and its $1 billion Climate Innovation Fund. Hood has also been a leader of Microsoft’s $750 million initiative to advance affordable housing solutions in the Puget Sound region.
Her leadership has earned consistent recognition, including repeated appearances on Forbes’ list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, ranking No. 16 in 2025, and both Fortune’s and Barron’s annual list of the most influential women in business and finance.
In addition to her work at Microsoft, Hood and her husband, Max Kleinman ’93, are minority owners of the Seattle Sounders, a Major League Soccer franchise.
“I am delighted that Amy Hood will address the Class of 2026 at Commencement,” said Duke University President Vincent E. Price. “Amy is a thoughtful and visionary leader, and I am confident her address will resonate with our graduates and inspire them as they celebrate this milestone.”
Hood will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.