CEO Steve Ballmer's exit not as 'planned' or 'smooth' as suggested by Microsoft
Though a statement by Microsoft suggested the forthcoming retirement of Chief Executive Steve Ballmer has been in consideration for some time, a new report says the reality is Ballmer did not intend to leave the company so soon.
The announcement of Ballmer's retirement last week was "neither planned nor as smooth as portrayed," sources indicated to Kara Swisher of AllThingsD. Ballmer was said to be excited in recent weeks over a company-wide restructuring, but in meetings after the announcement of his retirement, he became "uncharacteristically chastened and quiet."
Said to be a critical factor in the decision is the likelihood that activist investor ValueAct could obtain a seat on Microsoft's board. ValueAct has called for a number of changes at the company, including the ouster of Ballmer.
In addition, Microsoft's outgoing CEO is said to have lost the kind of steadfast support he had historically received from former CEO Bill Gates. While Gates didn't "instigate" Ballmer's retirement, he wasn't as much of an advocate as he had been in the past, one source suggested.
Ballmer shocked the tech world last Friday when he announced he would end his 13-year reign over Microsoft. The CEO plans to retire within the next 12 months, once his successor has been chosen.
Microsoft has been routinely criticized for failing to adapt to changes in the tech sector while under the watch of Ballmer. In particular, Microsoft's previously strong stake in smartphones was taken by Apple's iPhone and devices running Google Android, while PC sales have been significantly affected by Apple's iPad.
In an effort to counter the successes seen by Apple in recent years, Ballmer announced a major realignment of Microsoft in July. The sweeping company-wide restructuring plan is focused on positioning Microsoft has a devices and services company, which Ballmer said at the time would enable it to "innovate with greater speed, efficiency and capability."
Whoever replaces Ballmer will inherit a company under the "One Microsoft" realignment that views the company's product lineup "holistically, not as a set of islands." Ballmer said that the new Microsoft structure will allow "a more coherent message and family of product offerings."
Microsoft's shakeup is the latest major restructuring to hit the tech industry. Google announced its own organization changes in March splitting up the company's mapping and commerce unit, while iOS chief Scott Forstall was ousted from Apple late last year, placing lead designer Jony Ive in charge of the company's mobile operating system.
The announcement of Ballmer's retirement last week was "neither planned nor as smooth as portrayed," sources indicated to Kara Swisher of AllThingsD. Ballmer was said to be excited in recent weeks over a company-wide restructuring, but in meetings after the announcement of his retirement, he became "uncharacteristically chastened and quiet."
Said to be a critical factor in the decision is the likelihood that activist investor ValueAct could obtain a seat on Microsoft's board. ValueAct has called for a number of changes at the company, including the ouster of Ballmer.
In addition, Microsoft's outgoing CEO is said to have lost the kind of steadfast support he had historically received from former CEO Bill Gates. While Gates didn't "instigate" Ballmer's retirement, he wasn't as much of an advocate as he had been in the past, one source suggested.
Ballmer shocked the tech world last Friday when he announced he would end his 13-year reign over Microsoft. The CEO plans to retire within the next 12 months, once his successor has been chosen.
Microsoft has been routinely criticized for failing to adapt to changes in the tech sector while under the watch of Ballmer. In particular, Microsoft's previously strong stake in smartphones was taken by Apple's iPhone and devices running Google Android, while PC sales have been significantly affected by Apple's iPad.
In an effort to counter the successes seen by Apple in recent years, Ballmer announced a major realignment of Microsoft in July. The sweeping company-wide restructuring plan is focused on positioning Microsoft has a devices and services company, which Ballmer said at the time would enable it to "innovate with greater speed, efficiency and capability."
Whoever replaces Ballmer will inherit a company under the "One Microsoft" realignment that views the company's product lineup "holistically, not as a set of islands." Ballmer said that the new Microsoft structure will allow "a more coherent message and family of product offerings."
Microsoft's shakeup is the latest major restructuring to hit the tech industry. Google announced its own organization changes in March splitting up the company's mapping and commerce unit, while iOS chief Scott Forstall was ousted from Apple late last year, placing lead designer Jony Ive in charge of the company's mobile operating system.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
Ballmer has been routinely criticized for failing to adapt to changes in the tech sector while under the watch of Ballmer...
Ballmer watching Ballmer... now that is frightening.
Sorry to see him go, a colourful and for Apple, successful, era bites the dust.
Well duh! Does anybody think he was NOT pushed out?
Ballmer as good as admitted he'd been pushed when he said in an interview: 'My original thoughts on timing would have had my retirement happen in the middle of our company's transformation to a devices and services company.' http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/aug/23/microsoft-steve-ballmer-retire-sucessor-search
Quote:
Originally Posted by maccherry
Ballmer is worth like 15 billion. So please don't shed any tears for this guy.
Yeah, seriously! I was just about to say the same thing. "Awww, his feelings are hurt. Poor guy." Whatever.
Eventually, the captain of a sinking ship gets thrown overboard. He will be fine in retirement unlike hundreds of thousands of windows users.
I'm more worried about the potential for ValueAct to have a seat on Microsoft's board. Investment firms (this is a joke, they don't invest in anything except themselves) have no business being on any company's board of directors. They don't know anything about the company other than how to manipulate the stock to make their investors money. I worry about this because of Apple, not Microsoft. The last thing I want to see is a bunch of criminals like Fidelity sitting on Apple's board or even Ichan.
He will still received a paycheck from MS for the rest of his life.
Your article ends rather incorrectly. Ive is not in charge of iOS. Ive is in charge of design, hardware and software design. Federihgi is in charge of software engineering, OSX and iOS. So you could say they're both in charge of it.
http://www.apple.com/pr/bios/
Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalclips
Big mistake letting him stay a year. First rule .. when firing someone ask for their company car keys and have them escorted from the building ....
They pulled out his phone and cut the network connections... and he can't leave his office while he's in the building.
"DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!!"
Quote:
Originally Posted by dasanman69
Ballmer threw some chairs and the chairs came flying back! You may 'love this company', but it seems the feeling isn't mutual...
Quote:
Originally Posted by rob53
I'm more worried about the potential for ValueAct to have a seat on Microsoft's board. Investment firms (this is a joke, they don't invest in anything except themselves) have no business being on any company's board of directors. They don't know anything about the company other than how to manipulate the stock to make their investors money. I worry about this because of Apple, not Microsoft. The last thing I want to see is a bunch of criminals like Fidelity sitting on Apple's board or even Ichan.
ValuAct on MS Board of Directors, as opposed to say, Al Gore on Apple Board of Directors? Bunch of criminals not knowing anything about the company, you got that right!
LOL
He could have some revengeful fun in the next year ... he should sell all his shares now, so he doesn't care, and secretly work with Apple to Xerox all Microsoft's secret, innovative ideas ... Oh wait a minute ...
Wall Street just realized that Ballmer might be around for another year... MSFT is down 2%.
I wonder if there is even a remote possibility that Gates steps in as iCEO, he always loved copying Steve.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
Ballmer shocked the tech world last Friday when he announced he would end his 13-year reign over Microsoft.
On which planet?