Mr. Gates’s role at Microsoft has been a source of wide fascination since he left his day-to-day responsibilities in 2008. But interest in it has grown in the past few years as Microsoft has stumbled, and it intensified sharply in the weeks since Steven A. Ballmer announced he would be retiring as Microsoft’s chief executive in the next year.
Many employees and investors fondly remember the company’s heyday under Mr. Gates, a towering figure in the tech industry who built Microsoft into a dominant force. And some Microsoft employees say they have noticed Mr. Gates around the company’s campus in Redmond, Wash., more often since Mr. Ballmer’s announcement, leading to speculation — perhaps mixed with a dash of hope — that he might want to assume a bigger role and return the company to its past heights.
“It’s impossible to walk away from something that you have shaped and led to that extent, and with which you are so personally identified,” Ed Lazowska, a professor of computer science at the University of Washington, said of Mr. Gates. “I think there’s zero chance that he disengages — if anything, I bet he engages more.”
Whatever his future duties, Mr. Gates already has a strong hand in deciding the company’s direction. He remains Microsoft’s chairman and its largest individual shareholder, and he is one of four members of the committee leading the search for the next chief executive. His opinion in the selection process will hold more sway than anyone else’s.
Despite the speculation, it remains a long shot that Mr. Gates will take on bigger day-to-day duties at the company. According to several people close to him, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because their discussions were private, Mr. Gates has no intention of leaving his philanthropic career to work again full time at Microsoft. Jon Pinette, a spokesman for Mr. Gates, declined to comment.
Still, the narrative of the rescuing founder remains a powerful one, especially since Steven P. Jobs, a rival of Mr. Gates’s, returned to Apple and transformed it into one of the world’s most profitable companies. Microsoft has struggled in important new markets in recent years, particularly with mobile phones and tablets, leading some executives in the tech industry to call for Mr. Gates to return as chief executive.
The search for Mr. Ballmer’s replacement is still in its early stages. Although the process could suddenly accelerate, the board is in no hurry to act before the end of the year, said a person briefed on the succession plans.
According to this and another person with knowledge of the Microsoft’s chief executive search, the list of executives being considered for the job includes Alan Mulally, the chief executive of Ford; Paul Maritz, a former Microsoft executive who now leads a cloud technology company called Pivotal; Tony Bates, a current Microsoft executive who came to the company through its acquisition of Skype; and Stephen Elop, the Nokia executive who has already announced his intention to return to Microsoft once the company completes its acquisition of Nokia’s phone business.
Frank Shaw, a Microsoft spokesman, declined to comment on potential candidates for chief executive.
Among outsiders, Mr. Mulally of Ford is a favorite because of his success in reviving Ford without the help of the government bailout and bankruptcy filing used by the other two Detroit automakers, General Motors and Chrysler.
Mr. Mulally was unavailable for comment about whether he has interest in the Microsoft job. He does not have a software background, which has given some current and former Microsoft employees pause because they believe the company needs a leader with a strong technology vision. Another concern is Mr. Mulally’s age, 68, which suggests he may not be in the job for long.
Source : NYTimes
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