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Microsoft (MSFT) Whittles CEO Candidacy Field Down; May Announce Successor Before 2014

October 10, 2013 8:30 AM EDT
Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) could name its next CEO before the end of 2013.

Bloomberg notes that Microsoft is currently narrowing its list of candidates and is conducting preliminary interviews. Its been speculated that the software giant has already spoken with Ford (NYSE: F) CEO Alan Mulally and former Nokia (NYSE: NOK) CEO Stephen Elop, who will join Microsoft following the completion of Microsoft's purchase of Nokia's handset assets.

eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) CEO John Donahoe is said to have withdrawn from being considered.

Considerations being made before a successor to current Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is made include compensation and departure from their current company, if an external candidate is selected.

Since its founding, Microsoft has only had two CEOs in its 38-year history: Ballmer and Chairman Bill Gates. Some large shareholders in Microsoft have also requested that Gates step down once Ballmer leaves to allow for the next leader to fully direct Microsoft in a new direction, without outside influence which has caused the company to be rather stagnant over the last decade.

The move for a new CEO and doing so in such a rush -- Ballmer announced last August plans to step down within 12 months -- hints at the sort of pressure that Microsoft is facing in tech environment. Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) have taken a formidable hold of the mobile device environment, a critical arena for any tech company nowadays, while Google has also been offering competitive products to Microsoft, including the popular Office line of business productivity software.

Shares of are up in early trading.


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