Future's in the Cloud: Microsoft's next CEO likely to be Satya Nadela

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Microsoft seems to be moving closer to (finally!) choosing the successor to Steve Ballmer, who leaves later this year. The front runner is an insider and the head of Microsoft’s cloud and data center software group,  Satya Nadella. 

A profile on Bloomberg Businessweek says of Nadela, "he’s a sharp, persuasive individual who has spent more than 20 years working at the company. Crucially, he’s more or less Microsoft’s cloud master and has a firm handle on what it takes to run Bing, Office365, Skype, and Xbox Live. Nadella is also well-liked and respected throughout the industry."

Sounds just what Microsoft needs, to not just to keep them grounded but to make the tough decisions as well as to keep the Redmond Giant innovative. Cloud computing, after all, has become the new battleground for technology companies and Microsoft has been among the first to embrace the new direction.

Other murmuring around the change in leadership are pointing to replacing Bill Gates as chairman with an existing board member, signaling a more complete break with the past and evolving the face of Microsoft for the future.

Source: Bloomberg Businessweek