» Satya Nadella it is

Microsoft:

Microsoft Corp. today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Satya Nadella as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors effective immediately. Nadella previously held the position of Executive Vice President of Microsoft’s Cloud and Enterprise group.

Microsoft also announced that Bill Gates, previously Chairman of the Board of Directors, will assume a new role on the Board as Founder and Technology Advisor, and will devote more time to the company, supporting Nadella in shaping technology and product direction.

It’s probably a good idea to give Nadella the Gates training wheels as it will help insulate him from criticism from within. I’m not completely sold on this pick but I was always more inclined to think an insider was a better choice than an outsider. He’s got a tough job ahead of him but they could have done a lot worse.