According to Bloomberg, people with knowledge of Microsoft's discussions say that the company's board is looking to have a new CEO in place by the end of this year. As you recall, current CEO Steve Ballmer announced his plans to retire earlier this year.
The source did mention some big names that declined consideration, including eBay CEO John Donahow. But board member have already spoken with candidates such as Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally, former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop and Microsoft's business development and evangelism chief Tony Bates.
There are some factors that will affect the timeline for hire. Negotiations over compensation and the possible departure from the candidate's current company (if Microsoft goes with an outside-hire) will determine when this takes place.
You can follow Senior Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. He likes talking sports, video games, movies, and the stupidity of celebrities. Email at LLiebl@GameZone.com
