Dallas, Texas 11/29/2013 (Financialstrend) – Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) board is now training the CEO search radar on Alan Mullaly, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s Chief Executive Officer and Satya Nadella, an internal executive as part of the group of the likely candidates to fill the company’s CEO position said some people in the know.
The other notable candidates are Stephen Elop, the former Chief Executive Officer of Nokia Oyj (HEL:NOK1V) and Tony Bates the internal candidate, though they are not considered to be the top contenders for the role. These deliberations are still in the initial stages and there is no confirmation of this news yet. There is still a great deal of fluidity in the preferences and there are other people in the fray as well. Chances are that they might emerge as the front-runners said one person.
The software trend dive
The board’s objective is to find the replacement for Steve Ballmer, as soon as possible. He had announced in August that he will retire from the company within the following 12 months. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has seen a decline in its software leadership even as there has been a dip the demand for personal computers. This was the company’s core business which has taken a major hit with the influx of mobile devices. Consumers now prefer to access the internet on the go and do not like being tethered to a desk all day. This trend has taken its toll on the company’s profitability and revenues.
It goes without saying that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is shifting its focus to internet-based services and hardware. It is gravitating away from its core software business in its competition with other big players like Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG). A Microsoft spokesperson, Frank Shaw did not comment about the deliberation about who would assume the top post in the company. The Nokia spokesperson, Susan Sheehan also declined to comment on the matter. The Ford spokesperson, Jay Cooney said that there is absolutely no change in the announcement that the company had made in November 2012. He said that Alan Mullaly continues to focus on executing the company’s One Ford plan and those they do not engage in any kind of speculation.
At a shareholder meeting that was held last week, Bill Gates, the Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Chairman and co-founder said that the company’s board had met about the search for the new Chief Executive Officer. He said that the board and he have met numerous candidates. However he also stated that the role is a complex one and did not give any timeline for the decision. The company is no doubt looking for someone with an exemplary track record with handling global and complex organizations.
