Why Steve Ballmer Decided to Retire Now

Steve Ballmer shocked the tech world on Friday when he announced his plans to retire as CEO of Microsoft within the next 12 months

Ballmer may not have been the most well-liked CEO — far from it. His approval rating on employee review site Glassdoor is just 47% and he has been panned many times by analysts and reporters since taking over for Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in 2000, with sites like CNBC and Forbes ranking him among the worst CEOs of last year

The surprising factor, however, is the timing. News of his departure comes barely one month after Ballmer introduced a massive restructuring at Microsoft to focus the company around devices and services. Ballmer had initially planned to leave in the middle of this restructuring and shift in focus, but apparently decided the company needed someone who would see it through. Read more...