The rumor mill is spinning with chatter about Microsoft’s next CEO following Steve Ballmer announcing his retirement as Microsoft’s CEO of 13 years. Could this actually happen? Could a Google CEO really be in the running for a position as the CEO of Microsoft? If so who at Google could it possibly be?
The possibility of a Google executive being hired as the CEO of Microsoft is not an impossibility by any means, the move by Marissa Mayer from Google executive and spokesperson, to Yahoo! CEO should be proof enough. The move for Mayer from Google to Yahoo! also seems to be going, by most accounts, pretty well. This, however, is Microsoft, the company that produced the man who was regarded at the wealthiest man in the world many years in a row, Bill Gates. What does it take to become, or even to be considered for this position? Definitely experience in leading a similar team at a company similar to the magnitude of Microsoft. As well as a large helping of working in upper management of a sizable technology company, amazing technical ability and foresight, as well as being able to bring something extra to the table that no one else can. So who, at Google, are in the potential line up?
Vic the name most rumored right now is Vic Gundotra. Gundotra, is currently Senior VP for Engineering at Google, and was previously a General Manager at Microsoft. Gundotra, has been in charge of Google’s mobile phone applications, including OpenSocial, Google Gadgets, Google Gears, and is apparently known as the man behind Google +. In 2003 Gundotra was named as one of the top 100 innovators in the world under 35 by MIT Technology Review. It’s no surprise why Vic Gundotra is at the top of the list.
Andy Rubin is also a notable and very well-known name in regards to Google. Rubin has been the Senior VP of Mobile and Digital content at Google for some time. He’s also overseen the development of Android and has 17 patients to his name. However in March of 2013, Rubin moved out of the Android department to “take on other projects at Google” and Sundar Pichai came in as his replacement for ChromeOS and Android. It’s sort of unclear as of now what exactly Andy Rubin is doing at Google, perhaps preparing for his move to Microsoft? The scenario closely resembles the last few month’s of Marissa Mayer’s time at Google before she moved onto Yahoo!
There is other talk of Sundar Pichai, which seems unlikely seeing as how he is just now coming into his own at Google. Urs H¶lzle, who is in charge of Google’s technical infrastructure, but does not exactly sound like CEO material, especially to replace Steve Ballmer as the CEO of Microsoft. Google’s exec’s are not the only ones with rumors swirling around them. There is also talk of CEO’s and exec’s from companies like: Amazon, Cisco, VMWare, Nokia, and IBM to name a few. It’s unclear yet who will be slated to fill Steve Ballmar’s shoes, while Andy Rubin seems like the most likely candidate to me. However with the majority of his time spent overseeing mostly mobile projects, it stands to reason that Microsoft, a company with its hands in a little bit of everything would want a CEO with a similar background. Rumors and speculation are fun but need to be taken with a grain of salt, only time will tell who is going to step to the plate fill Microsoft’s soon to be vacant CEO position.