Satya Nadella, born on August 19, 1967, in Hyderabad, India, is an accomplished Indian-born business executive who served as the CEO of Microsoft, a prominent computer software company, from 2014 onwards.
Nadella's journey began in the vibrant city of Hyderabad, where he pursued his passion for electrical engineering and earned a Bachelor's degree from Mangalore University in 1988. Following his dream, he embarked on a remarkable educational journey in the United States. In 1990, he completed a Master's degree in computer science at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Shortly after, he joined the technology staff at Sun Microsystems, Inc., contributing his expertise to their innovative projects.
In 1992, Microsoft recognized Nadella's exceptional talents and enticed him to join their ranks. His initial focus at Microsoft was on the development of Windows NT, a groundbreaking operating system primarily tailored for business users. While working full-time at Microsoft, Nadella also pursued a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, which he earned from the University of Chicago in 1997.
Nadella's career at Microsoft was marked by a steady ascent through the company's leadership hierarchy. By 1999, he had been appointed Vice President of the Microsoft bCentral small-business service. Two years later, he assumed the role of Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Business Solutions. In 2007, his responsibilities expanded further as he became Senior Vice President of Research and Development for the company's online services division. From 2011 to 2013, he served as the President of Microsoft's server and tools business, responsible for an annual revenue of approximately $19 billion. Additionally, he held the position of Executive Vice President overseeing Microsoft's cloud computing platform, which played a crucial role in supporting services like the Bing search engine, Xbox Live gaming network, and Office 365 subscription-based offerings.
On February 4, 2014, Satya Nadella made history by assuming the role of CEO at Microsoft, becoming the third person to hold this prestigious position in the company's nearly four-decade-long history, following in the footsteps of Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. One of Nadella's initial challenges as CEO was the successful completion of Microsoft's $7.2 billion acquisition of Nokia Corp.'s mobile-device business, a deal that had been announced in 2013 despite some reservations within Microsoft, including Nadella himself. Shortly after the acquisition was finalized in April 2014, Nadella announced a significant workforce restructuring, resulting in the largest layoff in Microsoft's history, with 18,000 positions being eliminated, primarily from the Nokia division. In 2016, Nadella also oversaw Microsoft's acquisition of LinkedIn, a prominent business-focused social networking platform.
Beyond his corporate achievements, Satya Nadella is a co-author of the book "Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone" (2017).
Hit Refresh: A New York Times bestseller, this book delves into the personal journey of Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella. It's not just about Microsoft's transformation but also about how individuals, organizations, and societies must constantly 'hit refresh' to stay relevant in the face of transformative technologies like artificial intelligence, mixed reality, and quantum computing. Nadella's story takes us from his childhood in India to his leadership role at Microsoft, detailing the company's rediscovery of its essence, culture shift, and industry-changing partnerships. More than just a tech executive, Nadella emphasizes empathy and offers insights into the future of technology and its societal impact. 'Hit Refresh' is a thought-provoking exploration and a call to action for leaders worldwide.
Satya Nadella's Microsoft Website: https://news.microsoft.com/exec/satya-nadella/