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Microsoft announces change to its board of directors

REDMOND, Wash. — March 13, 2020 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that Co-Founder and Technology Advisor Bill Gates stepped down from the company’s Board of Directors to dedicate more time to his philanthropic priorities including global health, development, education, and his increasing engagement in tackling climate change. He will continue to serve as Technology Advisor to CEO Satya Nadella and other leaders in the company.

On June 27, 2008, Gates transitioned out of a day-to-day role in the company to spend more time on his work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He served as Microsoft’s chairman of the board until February 4, 2014.

“It’s been a tremendous honor and privilege to have worked with and learned from Bill over the years. Bill founded our company with a belief in the democratizing force of software and a passion to solve society’s most pressing challenges. And Microsoft and the world are better for it. The board has benefited from Bill’s leadership and vision. And Microsoft will continue to benefit from Bill’s ongoing technical passion and advice to drive our products and services forward. I am grateful for Bill’s friendship and look forward to continuing to work alongside him to realize our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

“On behalf of our shareholders and the Board, I want to express my deep appreciation to Bill for all his contributions to Microsoft. As a member of the Board, he challenged us to think big and then think even bigger. He leaves an enduring legacy of curiosity and insight that serves as an inspiration for us all,” said John W. Thompson, Microsoft independent board chair.

With Gates’ departure, the Board will consist of 12 members, including John W. Thompson, Microsoft independent chair; Reid Hoffman, partner at Greylock Partners; Hugh Johnston, vice chairman and chief financial officer of PepsiCo; Teri L. List-Stoll, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Gap, Inc.; Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft; Sandra E. Peterson, operating partner, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice; Penny Pritzker, founder and chairman, PSP Partners; Charles W. Scharf, chief executive officer and president of Wells Fargo & Co.; Arne Sorenson, president and CEO, Marriott International Inc.; John W. Stanton, chairman of Trilogy Equity Partners; Emma Walmsley, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK); and Padmasree Warrior, founder, CEO and president, Fable Group Inc.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

For more information, press only: Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, rrt@we-worldwide.com

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Microsoft announces board changes and proposes election of new board member

REDMOND, Wash. — Sept. 19, 2019 — Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday announced the nomination of Emma Walmsley, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and member of the GSK board, to the Microsoft board of directors. Walmsley will be presented for election at the company’s annual shareholders meeting, which will be held Dec. 4, 2019.

“Emma is an accomplished business leader who led major advances in research and development at GSK and will bring her significant insights and global experience to Microsoft,” said John W. Thompson, Microsoft independent board chair. “We believe she will be a valuable addition to the board.”

Microsoft also announced that Charles H. Noski, former vice chairman of AT&T Corp. and Bank of America Corp., and Dr. Helmut Panke, former chairman of the board of management at BMW AG, have decided that after almost 16 years of service, both will not seek re-election to the Microsoft board. Their current term expires at the annual shareholders meeting.

“Chuck and Helmut each have brought tremendous wisdom and judgment to our board, including in the vital roles Chuck has played as chair of the Audit Committee and Helmut has played as chair of the Regulatory and Public Policy Committee,” Thompson said.

Bill Gates, who served as chair when Noski and Panke joined the Microsoft board in 2003, said “Chuck and Helmut have been critical and insightful directors during multiple key moments for Microsoft for more than a decade and a half, and we are grateful for their many contributions.”

“I very much appreciate the important role that Chuck and Helmut have both played as directors and advisors to me as we’ve pursued Microsoft’s transformation,” said Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO.

Emma Walmsley was appointed CEO of GSK in April 2017 and has been a member of GSK’s corporate executive team since 2011. She was the CEO of GSK Consumer Healthcare, a joint venture between GSK and Novartis, from its creation in March 2014 to 2017. Walmsley joined GSK in 2010, with responsibility for Consumer Healthcare, Europe. Before joining GSK, Walmsley worked for L’Oreal in a variety of marketing and general management roles in Paris, London, Shanghai and New York. She holds an MA in classics and modern languages from Oxford University.

If Walmsley and the rest of the company’s nominees are elected, Microsoft’s board of directors will consist of 13 members, including John W. Thompson, Microsoft independent board chair; William H. Gates, Microsoft co-founder and technology advisor; Reid Hoffman, partner at Greylock Partners; Hugh Johnston, vice chairman and chief financial officer of PepsiCo; Teri L. List-Stoll, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Gap Inc.; Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft; Sandra E. Peterson, operating partner at Clayton, Dubilier & Rice; Penny Pritzker, founder and chairman of PSP Partners; Charles W. Scharf, chairman and chief executive officer of The Bank of New York Mellon Corp.; Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International Inc.; John W. Stanton, chairman of Trilogy Partnerships; and Padmasree Warrior, founder, president and CEO, Fable Group Inc.

If nominees are elected by shareholders, the updated composition of each committee will be as follows. The board will determine a committee appointment for Ms. Walmsley once elected to the board.

  • Audit Committee: Hugh Johnston (chair); committee members include Teri List-Stoll, Arne Sorenson and John W. Stanton.
  • Compensation Committee: Sandra E. Peterson (chair); committee members include Charles W. Scharf and Padmasree Warrior.
  • Governance and Nominating Committee: John W. Thompson (chair); committee members include Teri List-Stoll, Sandra E. Peterson and Charles W. Scharf.
  • Regulatory and Public Policy Committee: Penny Pritzker (chair); committee members include John W. Stanton and John W. Thompson.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

For more information, financial analysts and investors only:

Investor Relations, Microsoft, (425) 706-4400

For more information, press only:

Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications, (425) 638-7777, rrt@we-worldwide.com

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers, and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. Shareholder and financial information is available at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor.

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Microsoft’s Board of Director Video Series: An interview with Teri List-Stoll

Microsoft’s board of directors wants our shareholders, customers, partners and employees to have the chance to get to know the board and hear how it operates. Our board of directors video series helps achieve this through informal interviews that provide deeper insights into board members’ backgrounds, their perspectives on board service and insights into the Microsoft boardroom.

The latest installment features Teri List-Stoll, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Gap Inc. Teri joined the board in October 2014 and brings extensive financial and consumer business experience. In her interview, Teri shares one of her most pivotal career moments, gives a behind-the-scenes look into how Microsoft’s board operates, and discusses how technology is shaping the future of business.

You can read more about our board and our approach to corporate governance on our Investor Relations website.

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