Bill Gates “Founder and technology advisor”; John Thompson new Chairman of Microsoft

Bill Gates assumes role of “Founder and  technology advisor” of Microsoft
John Thompson appointed as the new Chairman of Microsoft
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates assumed a new role on the Board as Founder and Technology Advisor. He will help Satya Nadella (the new CEO of Microsoft) in shaping technology and product direction and will devote more time in making Microsoft Office more interactive and building a cloud platform as examples of ways Microsoft can innovate in the future. He stepped down as chairman of Microsoft in February 2014.

About Bill Gates

An American business magnate, investor, programmer, inventor and philanthropist.

• Founded Microsoft in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen and served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) until 2000.
• Chairman of the Microsoft board until Feb. 4, 2014.
• As per recent poll conducted by The Times, Mr. Bill Gates is the most admired person on Earth.
• Known for donating large sums of money to charitable organizations and scientific research and is highly regarded globally.
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (B&MGF or the Gates Foundation): founded by Bill and Melinda Gates in 1997.
• Objective of the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation: to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty, and to expand educational opportunities and access to information technology.

Note: Mr. John Thompson appointed as the new Chairman of Microsoft by the Board of Directors at a meeting held in Washington, US. He succeeded Bill Gates who assumed the role of Technology Advisor to the CEO of Microsoft. Mr. Thompson had joined the Board of Microsoft in 2012. He was also the former chairman and CEO of Symantec Corp.

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2014