SEATTLE/NEW YORK (Reuters) - the CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, announced Friday his next departure to retirement, putting an end to 13 years controversial at the head of the world's number one software, whose action earned more than 7% after this unexpected decision.
The management of Steve Ballmer, who had succeeded in 2000 Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, where he was a friend and confidant, has been questioned by investors as by specialists in the sector while the pioneer of PC operating systems covered distance by the new giants of mobile phones and the internet like Apple or Google.
Now 57 years old, Steve Ballmer has certainly tripled turnover and more than doubled profits already impressive Microsoft since his arrival at the head of the group but the share price has hardly budged over the last ten years and remains very far from the highest adjusted 59.97 dollars reached at the end of 1999, before the internet bubble burst.
A few weeks ago, Microsoft announced a major reorganization and published results reflecting weaknesses in several of its activities, including shelves Surface, whose sales remain disappointing, and the Windows 8 operating system, which has received a lukewarm reception.
The announced departure of Steve Ballmer also comes shortly after taking a small stake in Microsoft by activist ValueAct Capital Management Investment Fund which demanded a change of strategy and a clear plan of succession at the head of the company.
No candidate is required to immediately to succeed Steve Ballmer at the head of a group that has had only two Directors-General in 38 years of history. Many promising executives have left the company or were pressed by Steve Ballmer, who had a time suggested that he intended to stay in office until 2017.
"NEW DIRECTION"
The reorganization announced last month aims to make Microsoft - which today is essentially a publisher of software - a company selling both products and services, a model that has made Apple's success.
But many observers believe that this plan comes too late, even if Microsoft has reaffirmed Friday the validity of this strategy.
"My initial project on the calendar would have been to retire at half-time of the process of transformation of our company in a company specialized in equipment and services," said Steve Ballmer in a statement. "We need a general manager who will be there in the long term for this new direction."
Although the management of Steve Ballmer has been criticized for some time, analysts have been surprised by his decision.
"Yes, it was a surprise particularly with regard to the proximity with the strategic transformation to equipment and services recently announced", said Sid Parakh, analyst at McAdam Wright Ragen.
The departure of Steve Ballmer intervene within twelve months, once that a special Committee of the Board of Directors will designate his successor.
This Committee, which will be led by John Thompson, the senior independent Director of the group, will include Bill Gates and other administrators. It will consider both external candidates and internal and will work in collaboration with the firm of headhunters Heidrick & Struggles International.
After opening in nearly 8.6% increase over the closing of Thursday, the Microsoft action won 7.38% at 34.78 dollars an hour from the close of Wall Street.
The group, there still like Apple, is under pressure to distribute to its shareholders a larger share of its cash, which currently stands at $ 77 billion.
"This could accelerate a distribution more favorable to shareholders of this war chest, which would promote the upgrading of the action to more appropriate levels", considers Todd Lowenstein of HighMark Capital Management Fund, which holds securities Microsoft.
Steve Ballmer himself owns a little less than 4% of the capital of the group according to Thomson Reuters data.
Wilfrid Exbrayat and Marc Joanny for French service, edited by Marc Angrand