March 29, 2024

Early Exit for Ballmer Amid Course Change at Microsoft

Mr. Ballmer, who joined Microsoft in 1980, will be departing a company that is very different from the fearsome software giant of the 1990s. During his tenure as chief, the company has failed to capitalize on some of the most important tectonic shifts in technology, including the rise of mobile devices and Internet search.

Mr. Ballmer also watched as Apple, an old nemesis that nearly went bankrupt in the late 1990s, and Google, which didn’t even exist until then, have soared.

As chief executive, he has faced regular calls for his ouster from investors and analysts in recent years because of the company’s missteps, and in fact Microsoft’s stock — which has languished for most of his tenure — rose 6 percent on the news Friday.

But Microsoft said the decision to leave the company was entirely Mr. Ballmer’s.

“There is never a perfect time for this type of transition, but now is the right time,” Mr. Ballmer said in a statement.

Mr. Ballmer, 57, will stay on until a successor is chosen by a special committee of the board that includes John W. Thompson, the board’s lead independent director, and Mr. Gates, Microsoft’s chairman. The committee will consider both internal and external candidates and has hired an executive search firm to scout for a replacement.

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced a major restructuring aimed at making the company more nimble and less prone to infighting. Mr. Ballmer has said the shake-up will help remake Microsoft into a “devices and services” company, one that pays greater mind to blending its software with hardware — and, in some cases, makes devices itself.

Mr. Ballmer said that he was leaving earlier than planned because he believed the company needed an executive who would remain well beyond that transition.

“My original thoughts on timing would have had my retirement happen in the middle of our company’s transformation to a devices and services company,” Mr. Ballmer said. “We need a C.E.O. who will be here longer term for this new direction.”

The fact that Mr. Ballmer announced his plans without a successor in place was puzzling to many observers in the technology industry.

The disappointing stock performance may have been a factor. This year, a hedge fund called ValueAct, known for behind-the-scenes shareholder activism, began acquiring a small stake in Microsoft. Some analysts say they believe other shareholders might have been willing to join with the fund in efforts to lobby for management changes at the company.

Some analysts speculated on Friday that Mr. Ballmer announced his retirement early to buy time to find a successor without the distraction of a fight with shareholders.

Microsoft’s financial performance in the coming quarters could also have amplified calls for a leadership change at Microsoft.

The company posted disappointing results in its most recent quarter as its venerable Windows business showed signs of succumbing to a broader slump in personal computer sales. Microsoft also disclosed an embarrassing $900 million charge to cover its unsold inventory of Surface tablets, the company’s answer to the iPad.

Most forecasters are predicting that P.C. sales will continue to decline for the foreseeable future as consumers opt instead to buy tablet computers and smartphones.

Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/24/technology/ballmer-announces-retirement-from-microsoft.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Economix: ‘I Am Not a Statistic’: The Invisibility of the Unemployed

Dear Ms. Rampell,

I read with interest your recent column, ‘The Unemployed Somehow Became Invisible’ (July 9).

I am unemployed. I am not a statistic. I am not one of fourteen-plus million. I am me. I have a life. When authors use such big numbers, it’s easy for us unemployed to feel invisible.

I am a community relations professional with 20 years of combined experience in nonprofit, health care and higher education. I’ve had a lot of successes and am respected by colleagues and others with whom I’ve worked and/or collaborated. I’ve had several interviews and been one of two or three finalists. So why hasn’t anyone offered me a job yet?

I spend my day writing and rewriting my resume, customizing cover letters, calling friends and contacts, networking, taking classes, and editing my LinkedIn profile. Job hunting is more than a full-time job. I spend seven days a week several hours a day on my computer, far more time than the average person in a 9 to 5 job. But I have no union to protect me and I don’t earn a paycheck like people with real jobs.

I’ve heard that the longer one is unemployed, the harder it is to secure a new job. “Your skills get soft.” “You lose touch with your connections.” At least that’s what ‘they’ say.

I try to remain philosophical. You know, ‘the right job will come along at the right time.’ I keep my interview suits clean and pressed. I make regular visits to my hairdresser and get the occasional manicure. I am fortunate insofar as I am surrounded by people who care about me and continue to support me throughout this journey.

I remember back to a project that my daughter did. She was in sixth grade and had to ‘spend’ one million dollars. Boy was that hard! With that project I learned that one million is a really big number, too big to truly comprehend. Fourteen-plus million is even bigger.

I don’t want to be one of fourteen-plus million anymore. I want to be thought of by columnists and law makers as me. And I believe that there are fourteen-plus million more just like me. Because of that, we – you – need to think about unemployment one person at a time. Me, Mike, Bruce, Pam, Audrey, Arlene, Bob, and the others. And then I need a job and so do they.

Thank you.

–Tina Friedman

Article source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=e0af686ddb8ea9d28fbeb640371c5d85