Satya Nadella is Microsoft's new CEO. The appointment of Nadella, previously the executive vice president of Microsoft's cloud and enterprise group, is effective immediately. Steve Ballmer is to retire early and Nadella has written an email to employees, published today, to introduce himself as the company leader.
We first heard from sources close to the process last week, via Bloomberg, saying that Nadella had secured the CEO position. He had been in the running for the job for as long as we had followed the CEO recruitment process but the decision seemed to have been made at that time. Also there were rumours of Bill Gates taking a back seat from now on and indeed John Thompson is the new Chairman of the Board who will be working closely with Nadella.
As a reminder Microsoft stalwart Nadella, 46, has been with the company since 1992. Bloomberg lists his experience as being mainly in "cloud services, server software, Internet search and business applications". His track record has been impressive and recently, as president of Microsoft's Server Business, he delivered a significant boost to that department's revenue.
Nadella addressed Microsoft employees in his first email to them, he started by saying ; "Today is a very humbling day for me. It reminds me of my very first day at Microsoft, 22 years ago. Like you, I had a choice about where to come to work. I came here because I believed Microsoft was the best company in the world. I saw then how clearly we empower people to do magical things with our creations and ultimately make the world a better place. I knew there was no better company to join if I wanted to make a difference." He ended his introductory address by adding "This is the very same inspiration that continues to drive me today."
The new CEO told some home truths such as "Our industry does not respect tradition - it only respects innovation." Then Nadella set out his stall by saying he and Thompson will "ensure that Microsoft thrives in a mobile and cloud-first world". Microsoft can change the industry again, he said, by empowering people to do amazing things. In his vision the company is focussed on a much broader range of devices than just PCs and that the newly acquired Nokia devices division will contribute to the future of the devices and services thrust.
Nadella sought to inspire Microsoft employees with his conclusion saying that they work in one of the few companies in the world with the abundance of "talent, resources, and perseverance," required to change the world.
So the new CEO's message seems pretty much in line with where Microsoft was going - devices and software services. He's a seasoned long-time Microsoft exec and has done well in the areas that the company now wants to focus upon so looks like an excellent choice.
