Microsoft Board of Directors Returns to 10 Members

With the addition of Maria Klawe, the size of Microsoft’s board of directors has grown back to 10 members, following a few months when it functioned with just nine contributors as Jon A. Shirley, former president and chief operating officer, retired in November 2008. Maria Klawe, Ph.D., is the current president of the Harvey Mudd College, an arts college in Claremont, California, a position she has occupied since 2006. The Redmond company's co-founder Bill Gates emphasized that it was Klawe's work in computer and mathematics research along with her involvement in education that recommended her for a board seat.

“Maria has made significant research contributions to computer science and mathematics, and we are very fortunate to have her join Microsoft’s board of directors,” Bill Gates, Microsoft chairman, revealed. “In particular, I think her close connection to university students and the way they shape computing trends will bring an important perspective to the board.”

Klawe pinpointed that she considered computing to be at a crucial turning point in its evolution, along with the impact it could have on the lives of end-users. “Microsoft plays a unique role in shaping the impact that technology has on society, and I’m excited to join Microsoft’s board at this point in computing history,” she explained.

Before taking on the position of President with the Harvey Mudd College, Klawe served as the dean of engineering and a professor of computer science at Princeton University. She also collaborated with the University of British Columbia as well as with the University of Toronto and Oakland University. Her research work is associated with a role at IBM Research in California for no less than eight years.

“Through her strategic planning work at Harvey Mudd College, Princeton and elsewhere, Maria has demonstrated the kind of long-term vision and focus that we were looking to add to the board,” Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, added. “In addition, there’s no doubt that she brings a solid grasp of the technologies that will be important to Microsoft’s future growth opportunities.”