14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft continues the search for a new CEO and while people familiar with the matter said that the Ford’s boss Alan Mulally and internal Satya Nadella were the leading candidates, experts believe that Stephen Elop should be the next Microsoft leader.
Having rejoined Microsoft after the official announcement on the Nokia deal, Stephen Elop is believed to be on Redmond’s shortlist for the CEO position, but his chances to win the race for the vacant spot are quickly decreasing.
Adam Charlson, vice president for executive recruiting firm DHR International, said in an interview with Business Insider that while Alan Mulally seemed to be the right choice for the CEO position, he didn’t have the technology know-head to lead such a large company as Microsoft.
“There’s a way to force positive change and there's a way to shock the system where it could possibly break. Getting a CEO of a car company ... would abandon the roots of what made company successful,” he said, while pointing out that Redmond needs a leader that “speaks the language” of the company.
As a result, Stephen Elop, who previously served as head of Microsoft’s Business Division before moving to Nokia, seems to be the obvious choice, as he’s already familiar with Redmond’s business and knows the direction the company is heading to.
“Microsoft plans to become more of a mobile company. If they are going to abandon that strategy after buying Nokia for $7 billion, that's highly doubtful. And if they are going to go with a mobile, Elop is the obvious choice,” he explained.
According to some recent reports, Stephen Elop could even discontinue or sell Bing and Xbox divisions, as the former Nokia CEO apparently believes that Microsoft would do better without these cash-burning units.
An announcement on Microsoft’s new CEO is expected to be made public by the end of the year.