The shareholders are now advised to vote again director Thompson, report states

Oct 29, 2013 13:16 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft might be looking for a new CEO to ensure long-term profitability for the Redmond-based technology giant, but it turns out that more internal tension is affecting the search for Ballmer’s replacement.

Reuters is reporting that proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis has accused director John Thompson of conflict of interests, as he’s also the CEO of cloud-computing firm Virtual Instruments.

No specifics are available right now, but Thompson, who’s also in charge of a committee responsible for choosing a new CEO, has refused to comment on the accusations.

Glass Lewis points out that Virtual Instruments, which sells licenses and devices to Microsoft, has received $2.3 million (€1.6 million) from Redmond last year, so Thompson’s roles at the two companies have led to a conflict of interests.

What’s more, shareholders are now advised to vote against Thompson and instead re-elect outgoing CEO Steve Ballmer and co-founder Bill Gates.