14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has lost several key executives in the last few months, but the company’s board has issued a very ambitious plan to convince high-profile leaders to stay with the firm.
Reuters is reporting that Microsoft’s board has already authorized stock awards for top executives, but no payments have yet been issued.
The company explained in a filling to the US Securities and Exchange Commission that it wanted to offer awards to executive officers from time to time in order to ensure "continuity of key leaders during the transition to a new chief executive officer."
The most recent important departure is the one of Steve Ballmer, the company’s CEO, who is retiring for yet to be disclosed reasons. Microsoft has already started the search for a new CEO, but no candidates have been revealed until now.
Sources close to negotiations revealed that Stephen Elop, the former Nokia boss who joined Microsoft as part of a deal between the two companies, was very likely to be the next CEO.