TOP SALESMAN: Ballmer, a forceful, often emotional leader, is regarded as a great salesman rather than a brilliant technologist. - Reuters
SEATTLE/NEW YORK: Steve Ballmer, a passionate salesman who has been a central figure at Microsoft Corp for more than three decades, unexpectedly announced his retirement as chief executive on Friday, ending a controversial 13-year reign in which the world's largest software company lost its position as the dominant force in computing.
The surprise move sent the company's share price up 7%, reflecting a widespread view that Ballmer is not the man to reverse the fortunes of a company that remains highly profitable but has failed to navigate the transition to the mobile computing era.
