Ford chief Allan Mulally pulls out of Microsoft CEO race

[Himanshu Arora]

Microsoft lost a front-runner for its top job when Alan Mulally, Ford's Chief Executive Officer, announced Tuesday that he plans to stay with the automaker through 2014. “I would like to end the Microsoft speculation because I have no other plans to do anything other than serve Ford,” Mulally said in an interview yesterday. Ford spokesman Jay Cooney confirmed the comments.

Ford's chief has been consistent with his plans so far. In a 2012 interview, Mulally said that he intends to stay with Ford through 2014, the busiest year for the No. 2 U.S. automaker. The company is planning to introduce 23 new vehicles this year.

Microsoft has been looking for a replacement ever since its long time CEO Steve Balmer announced his retirement plans in August last year. John Thompson, who is heading the company's search for a new CEO, announced last month that the final decision regarding Steve Ballmer's successor will not be taken until early 2014.

Mulally's announcement has again re-ignited the guessing game of who will take over Microsoft. According to sources familiar with the process, Microsoft is down to a handful of names, including former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop and insiders Satya Nadella and Tony Bates.

"Out of respect for the process and the potential candidates, we don't comment on individual names," a Microsoft spokesman said. In December last year, Qualcomm's Steve Mollenkopf opted out of the race after he was promoted as the CEO of the company.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/55256-ford-chief-allan-mulally-pulls-out-of-microsoft-ceo-race.html

 

[wastedkill]

Thank god I wouldn't want a car CEO taking care of a tech company well not unless I wanted more car games on the xbox lol

 

[Guest]

Microsoft is collapsing. Who wants to be the leader of a failure. Whoever will become CEO, will have to get Microsoft through hard times that are obviously ahead of the Microsoft. He'll have to cut jobs, fire people, save money, sell parts of it. Decisions like that will make him unpopular. And if it won't help, he'll be marked as the man who ruined Microsoft. Of course nobody wants that job.

 

[mosu]

Smart move! next smart move would be renouncing Sync and adopt Android. We, Ford owners, we don't like expensive and limited and for sure we don't need an iPhone connector. so next smart move would be to join Android Automotive Alliance.

 

[RH00D]

Microsoft is collapsing, Guest? Right. If $22 Billion profit on $78 Billion revenue for a single year and having $142 Billion in assets is your idea of collapsing, then yeah, they're totally collapsing.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Microsoft is collapsing. Who wants to be the leader of a failure. Whoever will become CEO, will have to get Microsoft through hard times that are obviously ahead of the Microsoft. He'll have to cut jobs, fire people, save money, sell parts of it. Decisions like that will make him unpopular. And if it won't help, he'll be marked as the man who ruined Microsoft. Of course nobody wants that job.

I hate to be the one that ruins your perception of MS but I feel it's my duty to inform you that MS are far from collapse, they'll still be in your hair for a good while longer. If you don't believe it why don't you try applying for the job, hope that you get chosen as Ballmers successor then you can see for yourself.
Don't believe everything you hear from your pals at kindergarten.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Microsoft is collapsing, Guest? Right. If $22 Billion profit on $78 Billion revenue for a single year and having $142 Billion in assets is your idea of collapsing, then yeah, they're totally collapsing.

I'd like to face financial ruin like that.

 

[Railman]

MS is far from ruin, however its hold on the consumer market is under threat. If Elop takes charge then it looks likely that XBox will be sold off which is only consumer market product that can be described as performing well.

It would be very tempting to concentrate on the commercial sector as the margins must be considerably higher (Office professional being an example). The problem with that strategy is that it allows the competition to raise awareness of alternative products to consumers which could affect future business purchases.

 

[Nobina]

Microsoft is collapsing. Who wants to be the leader of a failure. Whoever will become CEO, will have to get Microsoft through hard times that are obviously ahead of the Microsoft. He'll have to cut jobs, fire people, save money, sell parts of it. Decisions like that will make him unpopular. And if it won't help, he'll be marked as the man who ruined Microsoft. Of course nobody wants that job.

Hmmm...Maybe you should be the next CEO of Microsoft, seeing how much you know about it's bussiness.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Don't believe everything you hear from your pals at kindergarten.

Judging by the looks of Windows 8, they may work for Microsoft.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Judging by the looks of Windows 8, they may work for Microsoft.

And they work for a lot less hence MS's powerful financial situation.

 

[Railman]

I wonder if Alan Mulally has been made an offer to stay put with Ford that he could not refuse? In which case he may have played MS against Ford to improve his position.

 

[cliffordcooley]

I wonder if Alan Mulally has been made an offer to stay put with Ford that he could not refuse? In which case he may have played MS against Ford to improve his position.

In which case I wouldn't blame Allan Mulally. If Ford made an offer, then Ford wants him and can afford to keep him where he is. And if so, Ford obviously went out of their way to make sure he couldn't be replaced. People couldn't play both sides without the company setting the playing field. I will blame a company for setting a playing field, with a wide contrast of personnel wages.