Microsoft said it's making progress on selecting a new CEO, but does not expect to complete the process until next year. The company announced in August that CEO Steve Ballmer would retire within 12 months. The Board of Directors launched a search for a replacement, looking both externally and internally, and a wide range of executives have been named since in the press as possible candidates.
John W. Thompson, board member and chairman of the search committee, said in a blog posting that he's "pleased with our progress". The committee initially identified over 100 possible candidates, talked with several dozen, and then focused intensely on a group of about 20 individuals, he said. The search has since narrowed further, involving the full board. "We’re moving ahead well, and I expect we’ll complete our work in the early part of 2014," Thompson said.
