MS CEO에 인도계 임원 나델라…빌 게이츠 기술고문으로

   세계 최대 소프트웨어 기업인 마이크로소프트는 4일(현지시간) 인도계 기술관련 수석부사장인 사티야 델라(47)를 CEO 스티브 발머 후임자로 임명했다고 밝혔다.

   MS측은 CEO 선정위원들의 만장일치 합의에 따른 결정이라고 밝혔다. 

   창립자겸 초대 최고경영자였던 빌 게이츠(59)는 이사회 의장직에서 물러나 '창업자 겸 기술고문'을 맡았다.

  인도 출신인 나델라는 1992년 MS에 입사했으며 최근까지 엔터프라이즈와 클라우 드 사업 담당 수석부사장을 맡고 있었다.

   연합뉴스에 따르면  그는 MS의 조직과 사업을 속속들이 잘 알고 있으며 내부 임직원들에게도 상당히 평판이 좋은 것으로 알려져 있다.

    특히 철저히 소프트웨어 개발자 중심인 MS의 기업 문화를 고려할 때 기술에  정 통한 내부 출신이 아니면 회사를 파악하고 장악하기 어렵다는 점이 부각돼 나델라가 높은 평가를 받은 것으로 보인다고 연합은 보도했다.

    다만 '안정적이고 상식적인 선택'이기는 하지만 급격한 변화를 추구하는데 적합 한 인물인지에 대해선 부정적인 시각이 있다고 덧붙혔다.

    나델라가 최고경영자에 취임함에 따라 스티브 발머(58)는 14년만에 최고경영자 자리에서 물러나 평이사가 됐다.

 Microsoft Corp. named Satya Nadella chief executive officer, tapping an insider steeped in business technology to speed up a turnaround at a software maker that helped usher in the personal-computing age, only to be left behind as the world embraced the Web and mobile devices.

    Nadella, 46, is replacing Steve Ballmer effective immediately after a five-month search, Microsoft said in a statement today. Bill Gates, the company's first CEO, will step aside as chairman, devote more time to product development as a director and continue running his philanthropic foundation. John Thompson, the director who led the CEO search, becomes chairman.

    The new CEO, who was born in India and joined Microsoft in 1992, takes over at a critical juncture. Consumers and businesses are shunning PCs in favor of handheld devices made by rivals, sapping demand for Microsoft's flagship products. Besides playing catchup to the likes of Apple Inc. and Google Inc., Nadella will be tasked with completing strategy changes, begun by Ballmer last year, that include integrating the $7.2 billion integration of Nokia Oyj's handset unit and turning Microsoft into a provider of services and hardware.

   "He has incredible intellect but he also combines that with a deep curiosity and willingness to learn," said Doug Burgum, who sold business- software developer Great Plains to Microsoft in 2001 and oversaw Nadella while at the Redmond, Washington-based company.

   "He has all the qualifications to take over, but the question for investors is will he be able to change things up" said Ives, who rates Microsoft the equivalent of a hold.

    Much will depend on the role of Microsoft's board, where former CEOs Gates and Ballmer will remain directors. Nadella is also joining the board as its 10th member. Thompson also brings his experience as Symantec Corp.'s former CEO and as an executive at International Business Machines Corp.

    "During this time of transformation, there is no better person to lead Microsoft than Satya Nadella," Gates said in the statement.

       The new CEO will oversee a sprawling empire of 130,000 employees once the Nokia acquisition closes in the next few months. Microsoft is seeking to remain relevant as consumers turn to mobile devices and the Web to check e-mail and access data, putting the brakes on sales of PCs, the main driver of Microsoft's Windows and Office software. The acquisition of Nokia is aimed at boosting Microsoft in the smartphone market, where it has a 3.1 percent share, according to ComScore Inc.

    As president of Microsoft's server business, Nadella boosted revenue to $20.3 billion in the fiscal year through June, up from $16.6 billion when he took over in 2011. That unit became cloud and enterprise when Ballmer revamped Microsoft's structure in July.

    Before being named to lead the server unit, Nadella held leadership roles in several different businesses within Microsoft, including Bing search engineering and technical strategy, and the company's small business applications push.

     Gates, who along with Paul Allen founded the company in 1975, was the first CEO. He left that role in 2000, succeeded by Ballmer. Ballmer and Gates were hallmates in a Harvard University dorm before Gates convinced Ballmer to leave business school in 1980 to join Microsoft as its 30th employee.

        Ballmer, who initially served as the company's business manager, almost quit several weeks after joining. Gates convinced him to stay by spinning his vision of a computer on every desk running Microsoft software, Ballmer said in a 2008 speech. With Ballmer playing a key role in many of Microsoft's negotiations with PC makers, the two eventually made that vision a reality.

    Gates said in an online video that he will spend part of his time at Microsoft as technology adviser.

    "l have over a third of my time available to meet with product groups," Gates said. "It will be fun to define this next round of products, working together. There's a lot of opportunity in front of us, and it's exciting that we have a strong leader to take us there."

    In 2000, when Gates stepped down as CEO, Ballmer took over, with Gates remaining as chairman. Gates, who has since devoted much of his time to his foundation, left day-to-day duties at the company in 2008. Gates said Jan. 21 that he will work on philanthropy for the rest of his life. (Bloomberg)