Nadella, who has worked for Microsoft for 22 years, replaces Steve Ballmer. Founder Bill Gates has said the appointment is “exactly what Microsoft needs”
Microsoft has promoted president of servers Satya Nadella to the position of CEO.
Nadella replaces Steve Ballmer, who announced his decision to leave Microsoft in November. At the time Ballmer said he had been nudged to leave by board members who felt the company was not keeping up with the pace of change in mobile.
Microsoft founder and member of the board of directors Bill Gates today said Nadella’s “vision” for the future of technology “is exactly what Microsoft needs as the company enters its next chapter of expanded product innovation and growth”.
Nadella’s background includes 22 years at Microsoft, during which time he held the position of executive vice president of cloud and enterprise.
His latest role saw him head up Microsoft’s server and tools business. The company said that during his time in this role the division “outperformed the market and took share from competitors”.
Nadella said: “The opportunity ahead for Microsoft is vast, but to seize it, we must focus clearly, move faster and continue to transform. A big part of my job is to accelerate our ability to bring innovative products to our customers more quickly.”