The quest to find a new CEO for Microsoft following Steve Ballmer's retirement announcement could happen much sooner than many are perhaps expecting. While Microsoft said that Ballmer will leave
sometime in the next 12 months, a new report from AllThingsD.com says that the company will name a replacement long before that deadline comes up.
The report, via unnamed sources, quotes one of them as saying, "This job will be filled sooner than later. It’s imperative to bring a sense of clarity as soon as possible." It also says that current Microsoft chairman Bill Gates will almost certainly not be named as an interim CEO,
despite being urged by many to do so, but will likely be the major influence for Microsoft in naming Ballmer's successor.
