New CEO To Head Microsoft By Early 2014


Bangalore: John Thompson, the man leading the four man committee responsible for finding a suitable Steve Ballmer replacement said on Tuesday that he expects an appointment to be made early next year. Reports Reuters.

This would be the first time the board, which includes co-founder and chairman Bill Gates has been so specific on the timing. This means the software giant is heading towards the end of its search for a new CEO, which began in August when Ballmer announced his retirement.

“We're moving ahead well, and I expect we'll complete our work in the early part of 2014,” said director Thompson in a blog post.

Certain sources seem to have confided in Reuters that the committee is down to a handful of candidates with Ford Motor’s CEO Alan Mulally speculated to be leading the pack. There might also be one or two internal candidates and at least one external candidate from the technology industry.

Microsoft now has to choose between Mulally’s large-scale management experience and the deep technical knowledge of an internal candidate.

Read Also: India's Satya Nadella In Top 5 Microsoft CEO Short List and 10 Significant Microsoft Moments Of 2013