Ballmer: Stephen Elop now an internal candidate for Microsoft CEO

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As of this moment, Stephen Elop is no longer CEO of Nokia. He has since vacated that position and now holds the title of executive vice president of Nokia’s Devices and Services division. Why did he do that? Didn’t you hear? Microsoft bought Nokia for 7.1 billion dollars. We’ve heard that Stephen Elop is reportedly on the "short list" to replace Steve Ballmer as CEO at Microsoft. How does this deal change the landscape?

The deal Microsoft has in place to purchase Nokia should finalize in Q1 2014. At that time, they will acquire Nokia’s Devices and Services division, patents, and more. In addition they’ll pick up 32,000 employees from Nokia. One of those employees will be Stephen Elop, who will become an executive vice president at Microsoft. A role he’s quite familiar with.

Currently at Microsoft, Julie Larson-Green is executive vice president of the Devices and Studios division. This division includes Windows Phone, Xbox, Surface and more. When Stephen Elop arrives at Microsoft, he’ll be in charge of this division and have Julie Larson-Green reporting to him.

According to Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer, Stephen Elop will now go from an external candidate to internal candidate for the position of CEO. Microsoft’s board will continue to look at all candidates equally he added.

Source: The Seattle Times

Sam Sabri
Sam Sabri
101 Comments
  • Stephen Elop for CEO!!
  • +1000
  • ELOP for PRESIDENT 2016!!
  • That could work lol
  • Damn. Beat me to it.  Ah well, what he said!
  • He's Canadian. Couldn't be president. (if we mean POTUS)
  • Go Bill Gates!
  • Elop vs. Gates, who will win?
    Elop has the Elop'd ability, while Gates has his own ability, so who will you support? lol.
  • Can Elop jump over a chair? If not, Gates beats him hands down.
  • LOL. Bill Gates would buy that chair
  • Bill Gates would pay someone to carry him over that chair.. Lol
  • I hope not. I want someone at least AS charismatic as Ballmer to take over. The kind of guy liked inside and outside the company, and too many people think Elop wasn't even the right guy for Nokia
  • I think Elop would be a fantastic choice. He doesn't need to be liked, he needs to make the right decisions while making money. But for what it's worth, I really like him. ;-)
  • I think he'd carry on Balmers strategy and not sell off WP or Xbox like some investors want
  • Elop is perfect for the job. The only reason people criticized him was because he chose WP over the android. Elop has the charisma, is welled like by the media, and is able to relate to most of the public. He also has vision while everyone said WP was a sinking ship, Nokia (Elop) has made WP the 3rd largest ecosystem and is starting to take over iOS' market. Notice WP has already taken number 2 spot in many countries and is catching up yo iOS in others.
  • Quite overwhelming waking up to the news of the takeover. I actually want him to remain focused on MS' devices section rather that head Microsoft.
  • I don't know, he did an amazing job keeping Nokia's shareholders at bay for such a long time, I think he would do great as CEO of Microsoft, though I don't really know how to feel about his focus. He also doesn't seem to like to take big risks, but a lot of people have criticized Ballmer for being the exact opposite. Personally I love Julie Larson-Green and I honestly see her as a potential candidate for CEO within the next 5-10 years if she doesn't go anywhere else. If Microsoft is looking for stability however, I think Elop is a great choice, but nothing about buying Nokia's hardware division screams stability; rather, to me, it screams "We're f*cking serious, and demand to be taken seriously."
  • I totally agree with you, i would rather see Julie Larson-Green as CEO and leave Elop as head of the devices team (but give him a lot of free roam over that team and all the resources he needs). 
  • Doesn't take risks? You're telling me that picking Windows Phone over Android or continuing development of Symbian wasn't a risk?
  • Not with a billion dollars waving in front of a cash strapped company, no, not that big a risk. Symbian couldn't provide that, and Android would have likely cost them in the short term.
  • Still stunned by the news. Still to settle in.
  • ditto.  still wiping the coffee I unintentionally spewed all over my monitor when I read the news.
  • lol almost the same thing happened to me, had to pinch myself and make sure this was not april´s foolsday
  • Well said... If I was drinking coffee it would have been on my monitor afer reading your comment... :-)
  • I wouldn't recommend it.  Damn things are expensive.
  • Yeah, I mean always knew it was an option, esp after the Ballmer resignation, but still shocking. Elop pretty much a shoe in for the top job at MS now. Great day for MS and I think a good one for us with Windows Phone. Be sad if the Nokia name disappears though.
  • Elop, we'd like to welcome you here in Finland! If not others, I will personally shoot your brains out.
  • Samaa mieltä, vittuun koko jätkä.
  • I get the feeling all Finns and also many Europeans are feeling, like Microsoft came in and stole one of their best and most promising companies...
    ...but threats are not the best way to go about making your point.
     
  • They should ask themselves first why didn't they support the company and jump shipped to Android and IOS.
  • Yes, good luck becoming an IOS OEM
  • I think he is referring to the Finns, not Nokia.
  • Wait what? Nokia never had a shot at being an iOS OEM, that's some funny sh*t right there.
  • LMAO! iOS?  Ladies and gentlemen!! We have the joke of the week right here!! 
  • Vitun pässi, et puhu ees suomea.
  • They should consider themselves lucky we don't come in and steal their countries! 
  • He's now 4/6 with Ladbrokes to be the new CEO!
  • 5/1 from the other day was now a good bet.
  • He needs to stay with devices else WP will be royally screwed. He cannot be the CEO. WP cannot die a slow death like this.
  • Don't be such a whiner. He's spent two years with Nokia building that up, he won't turn his back on that if he's in charge of MS. Indeed if anything he'll be in a stronger position to help the Nokia division build better phones, tablets and PCs with better integration of software and services. He is in the perfect position to help Nokia, to improve our phones, you could say there's nobody better who could be leading Microsoft to help improve WP.
  • +925
  • You do realise that it will be insane for him to "not turn his back" on WP if he is CEO of the whole of Microsoft right? WP is probably 0.2% income of Microsoft against Windows, Office Suits and Xbox divisions. It will be totallys stupid to show his love for what he did in 2 years as Nokia CEO and be partial towards development of WP. He cannot do that. There is a reason resources aren't directed towards WP. The overheads will kill his credibility if he just wants to pamper his baby WP more than the milking cows!
  • Except for the fact that smartphones and tablets represent a huge portion of the computing future and Microsoft SHOULD be putting a disproportionate amount of effort towards them instead of letting themselves get run over.
  • +1
  • I want to be clear will we see Nokia lumia in future or Microsoft lumia ?
    And if its microsoft Lumia than its going to ruin WP OSand Nokias 150 years history because it is the people who were buying windows phone because they heard it "Nokia" Lumia brand not Microsoft or Surface lumia.
    I m so sad because we cant see Nokia Lumia branded smart devices anymore in future if its true.
    hope its not true.
  • I agree, I am sure they will keep the Nokia brand, it's too important. It's not like they've gotten rid of Skype. I imagine it'll be like Motorola where it says "a Google company". Or like just about any brand takeover, it's usually only when companies merge that names get lost.
    We can see now why Nokia renamed their mapping from Nokia Maps to HERE Maps, they've already got a new brand name. Now MS can keep using the Nokia name without any conflict.
  • it sounds and smells like  MS will not use Nokia Lumia brands as its written on Press notes that it will only be used for asha devices
    I m very sad and I will get any Smartphones from Microsoft branded with that special NOKIA Lumia Brand Logo that took the world with its innovatitive Pureview technology, PureMotion + etc
     
  • Yeah having read more it looks like they won't be using the Nokia name on smartphones, but featurephones only. They will be branded Lumia, but not Nokia. Well the deal won't go through for another 6 months, so I'm sure there will be some good Nokia branded devices coming out before the changeover so I'll have to buy one of them to replace my 920. Will hold onto that until I cannot resist a Microsoft Lumia phone sometime down the line...
  • Sadly the Nokia Lumia 1020 is probably the last flagship Nokia Smartphone we will ever see.
    But you got to give them that they went out with a hell of a legacy with the Nokia Lumia 1020.
  • You forgot about the 1520. Its supposed to be out this year. Nokia + Microsoft won't be till next year.
  • "Microsoft bought Nokia" "A lie repeated over and over becomes true" said Joseph Goebbels. Are you trying to prove him right, Sam? Lol
  • Keep reading. I clarify. 
  • Maybe you should ignore that guy, he doesnt contribute to anything good in the community... and well he cant even read the article but still comments about it.
  • Somehow, I'm not surprised. Elop always was a prime candidate
  • I just wanted nokia does not use android, and it happens, is now NOKIA ANTI ANDROID
  • Next on WPcentral - Steve jobs comes back to life
  • After that, bill gates is chosen as the new ceo
  • Is it me or have alot of comments this morning been just words strung together with no structural sense?
  • We're too much in shock to string coherent sentences together. Give it a day.
  • 99% of comments on the internet.
  • Also its late morning it EU (coffey wearing off) and very early morning on the East coast and most people on the West haven't even slept yet...
     
  • I'm on the east coast. Had to be at work at 3am.
  • Like many people say, i think Elop was a trojan horse for MS in Nokia from the beginning, but with Nokia in the downside and losing money they needed someone who could support them and MS took that opportunity, but in the long run that undermine Ballmer position,  maybe the MS board of directors was looking a way to get rid of Ballmer and his flawed stance to Google and Apple. 
    One thing for sure is that MS needs a CEO with the mobile market in his mind, and the board of directors thinks that Elop could be their man. 
  • Spot on!
  • Elop is going to do very well in Microsoft. I am pretty sure of that. WP will be the best OS within 3-4 years.
  • It is the best OS now, it just needed a push like this to start moving to become a  much more used OS and I would guess it'll be another two years to overtake iOS. And it will overtake iOS which is on a road to nowhere.
    So far all I have predicted and suggested woudl happen has come true, MSFT (and Nokia) always saud they had a long term plan. Elop is much smarter and capable of pulling this off than many may think. With him running MSFT he will be able to push devices and services much better than Ballmer ever could which is why he is the prime choice if not a done deal.
    MSFT will keep Nokia in FInland, they will invest heavily in infrastucture and technology. It's a win-win and most of the depressed will come to see this soon enough..
  • Well, he probably never really left Microsoft, so.....
  • Somwhere In the corner of my mind I first thought MIcrosoft did this partly to stop nokia going android and partly cause they want Elop as the new CEO
  • They want Elop, but can only get him by also getting Nokia.
  • so basicly they bought an former microsoft member for a couple of billion? That's spending money ala microsoft :D
  • What they want is a CEO with an extremely good understanding of consumer needs and proves to be very good at PR since they are going ahead as a device and services company.
  • Which was a great move - Nokia going android would make it extremely hard for MS to get any sort of footing in the market.
    Now they stand a great chance.
  • Who's the leader at Nokia now ?
  • Riisto Siilasmaa is back as interim CEO
  • It also says a lot about how much Microsoft believe and wants the phone business....
    Last numbers presented here show WP is getting stronger in many places. We also know Nokia Lumia is big part of it.
    What is interesting to know now is what will happen with others manufacturers...will they leave?
    Do you know Sam?
  • Very smart!
  • This is very good!!!!!! Im just glad balmer made the divisions in msft before this so proper attention can remain on w8 and desktop services by the people who know best. But this is very very good news.
  • +1 for elop cause he replied to my email and got me a new phone. Man of the people. Elop for Australian Prime Minister 2013
  • An excellent case for Paul Maritz of VMWare fame made over at CNET..
  • Had to refresh my wpcentral page twice to make sure I was reading today's news.
  • I don't know if I'm happy with his news- not the whole Microsoft buys Nokia-thing, that's awesome, but Elop running for CEO. When they announced Ballmer's exit, I expected a young, fresh, trendy guy (like Sam?) who can ignite the crowd without sweating and shouting "developers". I think Elop has more or less the same kind of "style" as Ballmer, but maybe he'll make it up with his talent for leadership and business tactics.
  • Ok, First Real Question... How much is my NOKIA Stock worth?
    Second, I do not seee Elop, going through with this buyout and not being named CEO.  He was a Canidate before he left Microsoft.
  • ^This. I think it's already predetermined. Only formalities pending...
  • He needs to be CEO of MS. He has proven he is capable while at Nokia.
  • Wow!! I just woke up to this news. Unbelievable!!
  • Elop..is the next CEO. I'm calling it. His demand must have been to buy Nokia first.
  • I so agree with you on that
  • BAM!!!! I said it lol... Buy Nokia bring Elop in house and make him CEO!!! Wooooo
  • Elop is Awesome!! He should become the CEO of Microsoft. :)
  • Turn him off, Bill.
  • Stephen Elop for CEO has a nice ring to it. He's a great speaker, excellent business man, knows Microsoft from inside and outside the business, and he has solid tech experience as well.
  • Wonder who the other candidates are?
  • If this is to happen could we see a better Surface tablet?
  • I believe Microsoft have found their CEO replacement. Elop has polished leadership skills and the pedigree to be the leading head of Microsoft/Nokia's future endeavors. Today I am a proud Windows Phone ambassador. Congratulations to Microsoft and Nokia.
  • He was either planted by Microsoft, or he just pulled the biggest coup for his personal benefit in technology-company history.
  • Go Elop Go!
  • The other day when he was announced on the short list, people were skeptical and weary in fear for the Nokia brand, and that it would suffer without Elop. Solution? Bring Nokia with Elop. Outstanding news today. Now MS has a legitimate hardware vendor for phones we can really focus on gaining market share and spreading the platform forward. Good things are coming and its news like this that makes me happy and excited to be a part of the WP platform.
  • Elop was a Microsoft Trojan Horse this whole time
  • ELOP FTW!!!
  • Excellemt move for MS.
     
    Getting Nokia's design, manufacturing and sales teams along with a CEO who is very well versed in getting the right PR out : One Sweet Deal!
     
    The fact that you kept CrapDroid from ever getting on excellent Nokia hardware : Priceless!
  • Microsoft bought Nokia, but if Elop becomes CEO of Microsoft, wouldn't it be like if Microsoft paid Nokia so Nokia would take over Microsoft? Meaning even though Microsoft owns Nokia, it would be like Nokia owning Microsoft.