<story><title>Microsoft Said to Be Preparing to Make Satya Nadella CEO</title><url>http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-30/microsoft-said-to-be-preparing-to-make-satya-nadella-ceo.html</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>jedmeyers</author><text>My personal opinion is that for Microsoft this is a much better solution than to hire an external CEO with an MBA and no background in software&amp;#x2F;technology. If the news are true then I wish all the luck to Mr. Nadella.</text></comment>
<story><title>Microsoft Said to Be Preparing to Make Satya Nadella CEO</title><url>http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-30/microsoft-said-to-be-preparing-to-make-satya-nadella-ceo.html</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>dredmorbius</author><text>Observations:&lt;p&gt;⚫ This spot&amp;#x27;s proving very difficult to fill.  Both in terms of finding the right person, and in getting them to accept.  It&amp;#x27;s been 160 days from the initial announcement of Ballmer&amp;#x27;s retirement.&lt;p&gt;⚫ Given Ballmer&amp;#x27;s long-standing deficiencies and publicly-voiced dissatisfaction with his performance, this also speaks to very poor succession planning on the part of the Board.  This would be they:  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/exec/bod.aspx&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;http:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.microsoft.com&amp;#x2F;en-us&amp;#x2F;news&amp;#x2F;exec&amp;#x2F;bod.aspx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;⚫ Enterprise + cloud is probably a safe pick for now.  It suggests a de-emphasis of consumer and mobile, and a retrenchment to core strengths, if not enduring ones.&lt;p&gt;⚫ I&amp;#x27;m not sold that bringing in external talent solves problems that insiders can&amp;#x27;t tackle.  The insiders will be well aware of strengths and weaknesses, the challenge is in acting on them given existing internal relationships and politics.</text></comment>