As Microsoft continues to remain tight lipped about who exactly would be the next company head, the latest to do the rounds is former Symantec CEO John Thompson who is speculated to become the chief after Steve Ballmer steps down.
Ford CEO Alan Mulally, former Skype head Tony Bates, and Microsoft cloud chief Satya Nadella have been so far named as potential candidates for the top job.
However, the company's failure to formally announce a particular name has given fire to speculations about something being wrong.
According to Cnet, rumours have pointed to Bill Gates being the next company head, but the philanthropist has clearly said no to the opportunity.
Since it has been nearly a 7-month search to find a replacement for Ballmer, Microsoft still has a bright candidate in Thompson, even if he is hired for an interim position, because he has headed Symantec for several years and is currently heading Microsoft's search committee for Ballmer replacement.
One executive recruiter said that Microsoft's status for hiring a CEO has reached the point of absurdity, adding that the company ought to have had a Ballmer replacement in the job by now.
The report said that Thompson would provide the organizational 'blocking and tackling' big company expertise that made Mulally such an attractive prospect, but Microsoft's hesitance is unfathomable in choosing the right candidate.
