New York: Software giant Microsoft Tuesday named Hyberabad-born Satya Nadella as its new Chief Executive Officer, replacing Steve Ballmer while founder Bill Gates is stepping down as chairman to become a technology adviser to the firm.
“As Satya Nadella becomes the third CEO of Microsoft, he brings a relentless drive for innovation and a spirit of collaboration to this new role,” Microsoft said in a statement.
Nadella, 46, is taking over at a time when the world’s largest software company is expanding its focus to devices and cloud infrastructure.
Nadella earned degrees from Mangalore University, the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and the University of Chicago.
Nadella said in a statement, “Microsoft is one of those rare companies to have truly revolutionized the world through technology, and I couldn’t be more honored to have been chosen to lead the company.”
He added, “The opportunity ahead for Microsoft is vast, but to seize it, we must focus clearly, move faster and continue to transform. A big part of my job is to accelerate our ability to bring innovative products to our customers more quickly.”
Reports quoted Nadella saying that he ‘learnt teamwork from cricket’.
“During this time of transformation, there is no better person to lead Microsoft than Satya Nadella,” Microsoft founder and former Chairman Bill Gates said. Gates said that Nadella is a proven leader with hard-core engineering skills, business vision and the ability to bring people together.
“His vision for how technology will be used and experienced around the world is exactly what Microsoft needs as the company enters its next chapter of expanded product innovation and growth,” Gates said.
Formerly Executive Vice President of the Cloud and Enterprise Group at the software giant, Nadella was leading the development of one of the largest cloud infrastructures in the world.
Previously, Nadella was president of Microsoft’s $19 billion server and tools business.
Bill Gates ‘will devote more time to the company’ in his new role on the board with the board as ‘founder and technology advisor’, a company statement said.
John Thompson, lead independent director, will assume the job of chairman at Microsoft, which has been losing ground in the tech world amid a shift away from the traditional PC to mobile devices.
In August last year, while launching its search for a new CEO, its then chief executive Steve Ballmer had said he will step down in the next 12 months.
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