Ever since outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced earlier this year that he is going to step down within a year, there has been a lot of speculation about who will get the top job at Redmond. The company has only ever had two CEOs, Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. The new Microsoft CEO will have big shoes to fill and tough responsibilities to shoulder. Ford CEO Alan Mulally, known for his turnaround of the car maker, has been rumored to be on the company’s shortlist for the CEO job. However, according to Ford board member Edsel Ford II, who is actually the great-grandson of founder Henry Ford, Mulally will remain the car maker’s CEO “through 2014.”
If Mulally indeed plans on remaining at Ford throughout 2014, then he won’t be able to move to Redmond, which seeks to close the transition by mid-2014 at best. Ford II has reiterated his statement twice already, he tells Bloomberg TV that “Frankly, he has told us that his plan is to stay with Ford through the end of 2014.” While it was rumored at first that Mulally was not interested in joining Microsoft, recent reports suggest that he might have warmed up to the idea. It is rumored that Microsoft’s board wants a turnaround expert to lead the company, which is why Mulally is in the run. Other possible candidates include Stephen Elop, Tony Bates and Satya Nadella.
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