The Verge on Elop and other Microsoft CEO candidates

With the search for the next MS CEO shortened and then extended again, TheVerge looks into the remaining potential candidates.

Stephen Elop, previously from MS, then Nokia CEO now heading back to MS to head the Devices and Services division, is still one of the ‘unusual’ options. We’re pretty familiar with Elop’s background since it was scrutinised before he went onto Nokia. You may also like to see the ‘competition’ as it were which consist of Ford’s Alan Mulally, Satya Nadella and Tony Bates.

Here’s the final words from TheVerge:

A mix of experience and skills is essential for a modern Microsoft CEO, but understanding the company’s culture and new focus on mobile and devices is equally important if the firm is serious about transitioning from its PC roots. Elop’s experience at Nokia was mixed.  While Nokia’s profits dropped 95 percent during his time as CEO, the Finnish firm was already struggling to adapt and Elop managed to trim and even turn a modest profit just ahead of Microsoft’s acquisition. However, Elop has an unfortunate history of leaving companies just as they’re struggling, a position Microsoft finds itself in for key consumer and mobile markets. Recent reports have suggested Elop may consider a strategy shift at Microsoft if he were made CEO, including rumored plans to sell its Xbox business and kill off the Bing search engine. The plans seem unlikely given Microsoft’s new collaborative focus, but any potential CEO will want to change and shape the company their own way.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/23/5229934/microsoft-ceo-candidates

The Nokia deal signifies quite an important future for MS and a devices and services company. But there’s a lot more that the CEO has to contend with and the choice of CEO, if they ever to do make one (perhaps two or an interim one) will say a lot about MS’s real direction and future strategy.

Cheer Alvester for the tip.

Category: Nokia