Michal Braverman-Blumenstyk to Leave Microsoft After 13 Years

2 September, 2026

The head of Microsoft’s Israel R&D center and CTO of its global Security division will step down at the end of the year

Michal Braverman-Blumenstyk, General Manager of Microsoft Israel R&D and CTO of the company’s global Security division, has announced that she will leave Microsoft at the end of 2026, after 13 years with the company. Braverman-Blumenstyk has led Microsoft’s Israel R&D center for the past six and a half years. Microsoft said it will announce her successor at a later date.

Her departure is also significant for Microsoft’s global cybersecurity operations. Braverman-Blumenstyk has effectively held two roles in parallel: leading Microsoft’s broader R&D organization in Israel while also serving in a senior technology role within the company’s global security organization.

Braverman-Blumenstyk joined Microsoft 13 years ago to establish and lead its cloud security group in Israel. She later became one of the founders of the company’s Cloud + AI Security division and, following the consolidation of Microsoft’s security operations, was appointed CTO of Microsoft Security. Over the years, she played a role in developing and launching products that became key parts of Microsoft’s cybersecurity portfolio, including Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and was also involved in strategic cybersecurity acquisitions.

As CTO, Braverman-Blumenstyk has focused on identifying emerging technologies and new growth areas for Microsoft’s Security division. In recent years, her responsibilities have also included shaping the company’s security strategy for the AI era. Microsoft is developing, among other technologies, AI agents capable of autonomously performing security tasks, alongside tools designed to secure AI models and agents themselves.

Microsoft’s First R&D Center Outside the US

Microsoft established its Israel R&D center in 1991, making it the company’s first development center outside the United States. Today, it comprises dozens of development groups working across cybersecurity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, analytics and software products. The center contributes to several major Microsoft organizations, including Security, Cloud & AI Platform, and Experiences & Devices.

During Braverman-Blumenstyk’s six and a half years at the helm, the center doubled its workforce and expanded its operations across six sites in Israel. Over the same period, Israel has become one of Microsoft’s key global development hubs for cybersecurity.

Braverman-Blumenstyk has more than two decades of experience in cybersecurity and holds a master’s degree in computer science from Columbia University, where she specialized in artificial intelligence.

In an email to employees, she wrote: “I’ve had the privilege of leading the Israel Development Center for the past six and a half years, and it is the part of my journey I am most proud of.” She also referred to the period since October 7, highlighting the resilience and perseverance of the center’s employees.

Microsoft has not yet announced who will succeed Braverman-Blumenstyk as head of its Israel R&D center, nor has it said how her global responsibilities as CTO of the Security division will be reassigned.

[Photo: Netanel Tovias]

Share via Whatsapp

Posted in: News

Posted in tags: Michal Braverman-Blumenstyk

Other articles you might like

IAI Drone to Detect Wildfires Within Minutes

Foresight Faces Reality, and Seeks New Businesses

Unique Battle Management Platform