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| Bill Gates to Step Down at Microsoft |
| Friday, June 16, 2006 at 17:41 by Peter Smith |
Microsoft today announced that effective July 2008 Bill Gates, chairman, will transition out of a day-to-day role in the company to spend more time on his global health and education work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The company announced a two-year transition process to ensure that there is a smooth and orderly transfer of Gates' daily responsibilities, and said that after July 2008 Gates would continue to serve as the company's chairman and an advisor on key development projects.
The company announced that Chief Technical Officer Ray Ozzie will immediately assume the title of chief software architect and begin working side by side with Gates on all technical architecture and product oversight responsibilities, to ensure a smooth transition. Similarly, Chief Technical Officer Craig Mundie will immediately take the new title of chief research and strategy officer and will work closely with Gates to assume his responsibility for the company's research and incubation efforts; Mundie also will partner with general counsel Brad Smith to guide Microsoft's intellectual property and technology policy efforts.
“Our business and technical leadership has never been stronger, and Microsoft is well-positioned for success in the years ahead. I feel very fortunate to have such great technical leaders like Ray and Craig at the company,” Gates said. “I remain fully committed and full time at Microsoft through June 2008 and will be working side by side with Ray and Craig to ensure that a smooth transition occurs.”
“This was a hard decision for me,” Gates added. “I'm very lucky to have two passions that I feel are so important and so challenging. As I prepare for this change, I firmly believe the road ahead for Microsoft is as bright as ever.”
Gates, 50, started Microsoft in 1975 with childhood friend Paul Allen. He took Microsoft public in 1986 and was the company's chairman and CEO until 2000, when Ballmer took over as CEO. For the past six years Gates has focused on Microsoft's software development as the company's chairman and chief software architect. In 2000, with his wife, he formed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, whose assets now are $29.1 billion.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft has pioneered many of the software innovations that paved the way for the digital information revolution and launched the PC industry. Beginning with MS-DOS, Microsoft's first operating system, and continuing with products such as Microsoft Office, Microsoft Windows and Xbox®, the company has developed a broad range of software, services and solutions that have transformed the way people work, communicate and play. Microsoft has 63,000 employees in more than 100 countries and generates annual sales of more than $40 billion (U.S.). With products for desktop PCs, servers and mobile devices, Microsoft continues to be the worldwide leader in helping people and businesses realize their full potential. |
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| Just a technical thought; on the description you describe him as "Sir Bill" - but as he is not a citizen of the United Kingdom he cannot technically be called "Sir" - he should be referred to as Bill Gates KBE (Knight of the British Empire) |
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| Microsoft I believe will loose performance numbers while Bill is out pursuing this charity. Yet, I think he has set the platform for success, for atleast the next three to five years, before you will see good old Billy Gates, back at the relm. |
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