Microsoft’s Board of Directors has decided to hold a special board meeting on November 18 to decide upon the name of the next Microsoft’s chief executive officer. The board will be meeting to trim down the CEO candidates list to a final three to five names, reported sources close to the matter.
Microsoft’s current CEO, Steve Ballmer, who was at the reins of the company through all its ups and downs including launch of Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Phone, and the Microsoft Surface, announced in August his plans retire within a year.
Insider sources have told Bloomberg that the Board is aiming to choose Ballmer’s replacement as soon as next month. After deciding upon the final few names, the directors are planning to interview the final candidates over the next several weeks.
After facing tough competition from rival companies Apple and Google under Ballmer’s leadership, the software maker is looking out for a chief with a new vision to get the company back on the track.
The Board will be considering upon the names of three internal candidates including Tony Bates, Microsoft’s chief of business development and evangelism, Satya Nadella, the company’s head of cloud and enterprise business and Kevin Turner, the company’s Chief Operating Officer. Alan Mulally, Ford Motor CEO and Stephen Elop, former Nokia CEO are the two leading external candidates for the post.
Meanwhile, Microsoft’s next annual shareholder meeting, the last under Ballmer’s leadership, is scheduled for Nov. 19 in Bellevue, Washington.
Earlier reports claimed that Microsoft has already chosen Kevin Turner as an interim CEO for the next couple of years who will be finally be replaced by Stephen Elop.
