It seems there is no solution for inserting a vector-based figure (e.g. PDF) into MS Office (Word and Powerpoint). Others have suggested converting the image into a high-resolution raster image first, e.g. here and on the Microsoft support forums. However, none of the workarounds will keep the inserted image as a vector-based figure (which has many advantages over a raster-based image, e.g. you can select and search text). My workaround is to save the PowerPoint as a PDF after inserting the image. In that way, you can keep the image in a vector-based image. Does anyone know of a better solution?

I’m a Mac user, so I’d be more interested in a Mac solution here.