After months of speculation, Microsoft’s search for a new CEO is finally over. Today the company announced that its new CEO is industry insider Satya Nadella.
The 46-year old Nadella will take over from Steve Ballmer immediately, with the latter expected to retire early.
Born in India in 1969, Nadella studied Electrical Engineering at the Mangalore University before moving to the US to study computer science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Nadella’s history with Microsoft spans over 20 years and has seen him hold a number of positions within the company.
Arguably, his most important role was as an instrumental player in the transformation of Microsoft’s cloud business. Nadella previously held the position of Executive Vice President of Microsoft’s Cloud and Enterprise group.
“During this time of transformation, there is no better person to lead Microsoft than Satya Nadella,” said Bill Gates, who himself has stepped down as the company’s chairman and will now serve as a technology adviser for consumer products.
Industry analysts and investors have reacted to the decision with mixed sentiment.
Whereas no one doubts Nadella’s experience, many have questioned whether he is the right man to navigate the company’s transition from the stagnant PC market to the new realm of mobile computing, where Microsoft is lagging behind competitors such as Apple and Google.
In an internal memo to Microsoft employees, Nadella emphasised how important mobile computing is to the software giant.”This is a critical time for the industry and for Microsoft,” he stated.
“Make no mistake, we are headed for greater places – as technology evolves and we evolve with and ahead of it. Our job is to ensure that Microsoft thrives in a mobile and cloud-first world.”
Source: Business Insider, Reuters