the board’s independent directors. Thompson will assume the position of lead independent director, which he previously served from 2012 to 2014. Microsoft said, “He will retain significant authority including providing input on behalf of the independent directors on board agendas, calling meetings of the independent directors, setting agendas for executive sessions, and leading performance evaluations of the CEO”.
Nadella, who is 53, began his career at Microsoft in 1992 and became CEO in February 2014, which is the same period when Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates resigned as chairman of the board. Gates stepped down from the company’s board of directors last March, 45 years after starting the software company with his childhood friend Paul Allen. As a result of Gates’ recent divorce announcement, it was revealed that he resigned from the board following accusations of an inappropriate affair with an employee.
Microsoft is the world’s second most valuable company next to Apple. Microsoft has reclaimed its status as a technology powerhouse under Nadella, acquiring companies such as LinkedIn and GitHub, focusing on the company’s cloud computing business, making accessibility and equity a central tenet of the company’s culture, and avoiding the antitrust scrutiny that has troubled competitors like Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook. In a media interview, Nadella said, “Success is important, but you have to remember that your success has to have come from some sense of purpose”.
