Satya Nadella Chosen As Microsoft CEO

Satya Nadella was officially named as Microsoft’s newest CEO. Nadella has been with the software giant for 22 years. Prior to his promotion, he served as executive vice president of the company’s cloud and enterprise group. The 46-year-old executive said he is humbled by the appointment and he still believes Microsoft is “the best company in the world.”

A native of Hyderabad, India, Nadella earned a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a master’s degree in business from the University of Chicago. After completing his education, Nadella made a permanent move to Bellevue, Washington.

Satya Nadella was responsible for heading the company’s cloud and cloud infrastructure. As reported by Forbes, the infrastructure supports numerous applications, including Xbox Live and Bing.

Former CEO Steve Ballmer has received stark criticism for his lack of focus. He was blamed for losing billions as he failed to capitalize on the growing mobile market. In 2013, Ballmer admitted his mistakes and announced his retirement. Although his retirement was surrounded by controversy, Ballmer had kind words for Microsoft and his successor:

“Having worked with him for more than 20 years, I know that Satya is the right leader at the right time for Microsoft… I’ve had the distinct privilege of working with the most talented employees and senior leadership team in the industry… their passion and hunger for greatness will only grow stronger under Satya’s leadership.”

Microsoft’s original CEO and founder Bill Gates said “Satya is a proven leader with hard-core engineering skills, business vision and the ability to bring people together.” Gates said he believe the new CEO will help Microsoft remain competitive in the ever-changing and advancing field of information technology.

Following the announcement, Satya Nadella said it felt like his “very first day at Microsoft,” and he is prepared for the challenge. In a statement to all Microsoft employees, the new CEO stressed his dedication and motivation:

“While we have seen great success, we are hungry to do more. Our industry does not respect tradition — it only respects innovation. This is a critical time for the industry and for Microsoft. Make no mistake, we are headed for greater places.”

With the official announcement Microsoft’s stock rose 1.7 percent, underlining the public’s confidence in the decision. Although progress can not happen overnight, Nadella’s proven record and ambition will certainly bring positive change.

In addition to Satya Nadella’s appointment as CEO, Microsoft announced Bill Gates will step down as chairman of the board. John Thompson will step up as chairman, while Gates will become the technology adviser.