Steve Ballmer Sends His Last Letter to Company Employees as Microsoft CEO

Satya Nadella is Microsoft’s new CEO, so Steve Ballmer, the one who stayed at the helm of the company for nearly 13 years, would leave to make room for the man who’s expected to continue the One Microsoft plan and continue the transformation into a devices and services company.

Of course, Ballmer has decided to send all Microsoft employees a letter this morning, not only to announce the appointment of the new CEO, but also to confirm that he’ll stay on the board for the time being.

Just as expected, Ballmer called Microsoft “the most amazing place to work on the planet” and explained that he absolutely “loves the company.”

Here’s Ballmer letter in full and don’t forget to share your thoughts on Ballmer’s retirement in the comment box after the jump.

From: Steve Ballmer To: All Employees Date: Feb. 4, 2014 Subject: Satya Nadella - Microsoft’s New CEO

Today is an incredibly exciting day as we announce Satya Nadella as the new CEO of Microsoft. Satya will be a great CEO, and I am pumped for the future of Microsoft. You can read the full announcement here.

Satya is a proven leader. He’s got strong technical skills and great business insights. He has a remarkable ability to see what's going on in the market, to sense opportunity, and to really understand how we come together at Microsoft to execute against those opportunities in a collaborative way. I have worked closely with Satya for many years and I have seen these skills many times. He is not alone, though. Our Senior Leadership Team has never been stronger, and together this group will drive us forward.

Microsoft is one of the great companies in the world. I love this company. I love the bigness and boldness of what we do. I love the way we partner with other companies to come together to change the world. I love the breadth and the diversity of all of the customers we empower, from students in the classroom to consumers to small businesses to governments to the largest enterprises.

Above all, I love the spirit of this place, the passion, and the perseverance, which has been the cornerstone of our culture from the very beginning.

Stay focused and keep moving forward. I am excited about what we will do. Satya’s appointment confirms that.

Thanks for making Microsoft the most amazing place to work on the planet, and thanks for the chance to lead.

Steve