This is what a former employee said in a new interview

Feb 12, 2013 07:12 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer is now criticized on a weekly basis, mostly after the technology titan he manages introduced a bunch of new products, such as Windows 8, Surface Pro, and Surface RT.

Joachim Kempin, a former VP of Microsoft and one of those who have already criticized Steve Ballmer for the company’s strategy, said in an interview with Computing that the CEO needed to resign as soon as possible in order to be replaced by someone from outside the software giant.

“[Ballmer's successor] doesn't have to be from inside Microsoft. [The notion] that this person has to come from inside Microsoft is not necessarily good. There is a chance that this person will run the company just like Steve Ballmer did; the culture transfers itself,” he said.

Basically, Kempin says that an outside CEO could bring a brand new strategy for the Redmond-based company, as someone who’s already working for Microsoft may adopt the same ideas as Steve Ballmer.

“If you get somebody from inside Microsoft, maybe that won't happen,” he explained.

And still, Kempin believes that Microsoft won’t make any upper management changes in the near future because Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates are very close but, at some point, the board may look for a replacement in case the company is heading in the wrong direction.

“Because of Bill [Gates] and Steve are very close, I don't see an immediate change happening anyway. But I don't know really what that board is thinking at the moment, or if they're even thinking [beyond Ballmer]. Bill can't let that happen – friendship or no friendship,” he explained.

Many believe that Steve Ballmer must leave as soon as possible, pointing to the sales performance of several new products released by Microsoft, including Windows 8 and the Surface RT.

While the company is yet to unveil some official figures on these products, analysts and retailers across the globe claim the two are rather disappointing products that failed to excite after launch.