REDMOND, Wash., March 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft
Corp. today announced that Co-Founder and Technology Advisor
Bill Gates stepped down from the
company's Board of Directors to dedicate more time to his
philanthropic priorities including global health, development,
education, and his increasing engagement in tackling climate
change. He will continue to serve as Technology Advisor to CEO
Satya Nadella and other leaders in
the company.
On June 27, 2008, Gates
transitioned out of a day-to-day role in the company to spend more
time on his work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He
served as Microsoft's chairman of the board until February 4, 2014.
"It's been a tremendous honor and privilege to have worked with
and learned from Bill over the years. Bill founded our company with
a belief in the democratizing force of software and a passion to
solve society's most pressing challenges. And Microsoft and the
world are better for it. The board has benefited from Bill's
leadership and vision. And Microsoft will continue to benefit from
Bill's ongoing technical passion and advice to drive our products
and services forward. I am grateful for Bill's friendship and look
forward to continuing to work alongside him to realize our mission
to empower every person and every organization on the planet to
achieve more," said Microsoft CEO Satya
Nadella.
"On behalf of our shareholders and the Board, I want to express
my deep appreciation to Bill for all his contributions to
Microsoft. As a member of the Board, he challenged us to think big
and then think even bigger. He leaves an enduring legacy of
curiosity and insight that serves as an inspiration for us all,"
said John W. Thompson, Microsoft
independent board chair.
With Gates' departure, the Board will consist of 12
members, including John W. Thompson, Microsoft independent
chair; Reid Hoffman, partner at
Greylock Partners; Hugh Johnston,
vice chairman and chief financial officer of PepsiCo; Teri L. List-Stoll, executive vice president and
chief financial officer of Gap, Inc.; Satya
Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft; Sandra E. Peterson, operating partner, Clayton,
Dubilier & Rice; Penny Pritzker,
founder and chairman, PSP Partners; Charles
W. Scharf, chief executive officer and president of Wells
Fargo & Co.; Arne Sorenson,
president and CEO, Marriott International Inc.; John W. Stanton, chairman of Trilogy Equity
Partners; Emma Walmsley, CEO of
GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK); and Padmasree
Warrior, founder, CEO and president, Fable Group Inc.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) enables digital
transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an
intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every
organization on the planet to achieve more.
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SOURCE Microsoft Corporation