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'Angry Birds' maker crowns a new CEO as it reaches a crossroads
Today Mikael Hed announced he would be stepping down as CEO of Rovio and that former Nokia exec Pekka Rantala would be taking his place in 2015. The developer has quickly gone from being a company that no one had ever heard of to one of the biggest names in mobile gaming. How? Almost entirely on the strength of its flagship franchise: Angry Birds. The problem is, nearly five years on, the Angry Birds name just isn't enough any more. The developer continues to churn out new titles at a fairly regular clip, but many are simple rehashes of the standard formula it debuted in 2009 (see Angry Birds Star Wars, Transformers, Rio, Space, Friends and Seasons). And with profits dropping off at an alarming rate the company is at something of a crossroads. In 2013 the company made less than half of what it raked in during 2012. If the company wants to avoid the fate of Zynga, which quickly fell apart after going public, it needs to change now before its problems become unfixable. Whether or not Rantala, who most recently was CEO at Finnish beverage company Hartwall, can save Rovio from the dustbin of history remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure, if he can stop just one more licensed Angry Birds game from being made, the world will be a better place.
Ballmer steps down from Microsoft board to focus on basketball, teaching
He was Microsoft's 30th employee, its first business manager and CEO for over a decade. Now, after 34 years with the company, Steve Ballmer is leaving Microsoft behind. In a letter to Satya Nadella, Microsoft's new CEO, Ballmer explained that he's leaving the company's board of directors effective immediately. "I have become very busy," he explains. "I see a combination of Clippers, civic contribution, teaching and study taking up a lot of time." It's not a surprising development -- owning an NBA franchise is a pretty big responsibility, after all -- but it marks the end of Ballmer's decades-long influence over the company. Despite his departure, the former-CEO is still invested in the company's success, and spent most of the letter encouraging Nadella and giving advice.
Smartisan's CEO wants to be the next 'Steve Jobs of China'
Xiaomi's regular channeling of Apple -- from its stage presentations all the way to disguising Aperture's icon as a phone's camera -- has earned its CEO Lei Jun the "Steve Jobs of China" nickname. Or rather, "Lei Bu Si," a Chinese combination of "Lei" and "Jobs." It's also a double entendre -- something along the lines of "endless shocks" -- that mocks Xiaomi's aggressive marketing. It's no wonder Lei hates the comparison. Fortunately for Lei there's another Chinese CEO gunning for that title. Meet Luo Yonghao, an English teacher turned founder and CEO of smartphone startup, Smartisan, with designs on being the next great tech visionary.
Sprint names wireless sales veteran Marcelo Claure as its new CEO
There were murmurs that Sprint was about to shake up its leadership, and today it's official. The carrier has named Marcelo Claure, the head of wireless distributor Brightstar, as its new President and CEO. He'll take over from Dan Hesse on August 11th. The company doesn't have a direct explanation for the change, but it does allude to refocusing now that its attempt to buy T-Mobile has gone awry; while it would prefer "industry consolidation," it's only concerned with self-improvement in the short term. How Claure will fare isn't certain. He's known for his entrepreneurial skills and has been involved with Sprint's board for months, but this will be his first time running a provider. He'll have to get up to speed quickly if he wants to reverse the company's ailing fortunes. [Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]
Google forced to 'forget' history of Merrill Lynch CEO's incompetence (update)
Welcome to the happy Google search page. Where links to historical articles can be deleted at the request of cowards people with fragile reputations. Where the former boss of Merrill Lynch, Stan O'Neal, is a fresh, dynamic and highly employable banker, rather than a disgraced executive who contributed to the sub-prime lending crisis of 2007. Where truth-telling journalists like Robert Peston wake up to find that their articles have been cast into oblivion within the EU, thanks to a blanket ruling by a bunch of clueless lawyers the European Court of Justice. Where facts and opinions no longer count for anything if someone, somewhere doesn't like them. (A list of other Google search terms that have so far been affected by the new "right to be forgotten" can be found here -- although in none of the cases do we have any information about who objected to them, or why.) Update: Reuters and The Guardian are reporting that some links have been restored (not the one to the story about Stan O'Neal), although, as Danny Sullivan points out on Twitter, they may not have been pulled at all. The European Commission has also distanced itself from Google's takedown action, saying that the EU's ruling shouldn't allow people to "photoshop their lives."
Razer's CEO is sorry for 'screwing up on anticipating demand,' wants to do better
If you pre-ordered Razer's new 14-inch Blade laptop the day it was announced, there's a good chance you still don't have it. Frustrated? Don't worry -- your voice has already been heard; Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan says he's sorry. "We suck at this," he said in a heartfelt Facebook post today. "I suck at this." Unfortunately, Razer has made a habit of underestimating customer demand, and Min's team is struggling to find a solution that won't keep customers waiting. "We've tried different things," he said. "We've tried doubling / tripling / quadrupling manufacturing capacity, we've ramped back to phasing in launches by geography... we've pushed back launch dates, and still we end up disappointing our customers."
Iranian court summons Mark Zuckerberg to answer privacy concerns
We've got a feeling that Mark Zuckerberg will, regretfully, be unable to accept this particular foreign invitation -- especially after all the recent name-calling that's been coming out of Iran. Nevertheless, a court in the south of that country has reportedly ordered the Facebook CEO to attend a hearing to answer complaints over privacy, specifically regarding Instagram and WhatsApp. There have been calls for both services to be blocked in Tehran, but they're still operational for now, perhaps partly due to a degree of protection from more moderate forces within the country. The precise details of the court summons are hard to be sure of, because news of it comes not from the court itself, but from an official within the Basij militia -- a voluntary paramilitary force that is regularly called upon to protect Iran's theocracy from dissent. And frankly, that's exactly the sort of geo-political context that might further dissuade Zuckerberg's PA from scheduling an appointment.
Former LucasArts president now CEO at Dungeon Defenders dev
Darrell Rodriguez, who served as president of LucasArts between 2008 and 2010, will now lead Dungeon Defenders developer Trendy Entertainment as its CEO, the studio has announced. Rodriguez, who most recently served as Chief Creative Officer at casino game creator International Game Technology, said in a press release that he was drawn to the studio due to it being "among the first companies to recognize that digitally distributed releases deserve the same high-quality treatment as traditional retail titles." "AAA doesn't belong to AAA anymore, and finding fellow video game industry veterans who understand this is an exciting proposition," Rodriguez said. Trendy's Dungeon Defenders 2, sequel to the studio's 2010 hit Dungeon Defenders, recently dropped its MOBA-inspired mode to focus on the game's unique blend of tower defense and RPG elements. It's expected to launch later this year. [Image: Trendy Entertainment]
Chad Gutstein steps into CEO role at Machinima
Gamer-focused streaming video network Machinima has hired Chad Gutstein to lead the company as its new CEO. "Machinima is ready for the next level, and Chad has all of the unique qualities we were seeking in a new CEO to bring us there," said Machinima co-founder Allen DeBevoise. "His fresh and respected outlook, deep knowledge of the TV and digital business, and proven track record will all benefit Machinima as we enter our next phase of growth." DeBevoise cites Gutstein's work as COO of Ovation, an online network aimed at the arts, where Gutstein had great success in driving home the value of online streaming content to advertisers more familiar with traditional video broadcasting. "Machinima is a pioneer in the online video space and virtually invented the MCN business model," Gutstein said of his new employer. "We plan to profitably grow our business with engaging original programming, nurturing the best affiliate channel partner program, and creating innovative solutions to help marketers reach our young, male and highly mobile audience." Allen DeBevoise previously served as Machinima's CEO. He voluntarily vacated the position last November amid the company's mounting financial woes in the hopes that Machinima could attract more "professional management." [Image: Machinima]
Political backlash against Mozilla's new CEO continues as OkCupid suggests browser alternatives (update)
Last week Mozilla appointed former CTO Brendan Eich as its new CEO, but the response to that move has centered on something other than its focus on mobile. In 2008 Eich donated $1,000 to support Proposition 8, a ban on gay marriage in California, and as a result a number of employees have called for him to step down. Today that protest extended to other websites, as The Verge points out Firefox users visiting the dating site OkCupid are greeted with the page shown above, saying it would "prefer that our users not use Mozilla software to access OkCupid." At the bottom it includes links to Google Chrome, Internet Exploder (natch), Opera and Safari as friendlier alternatives, above a link for users to bypass the page and continue browsing with Firefox. Since Eich's appointment, Mozilla has posted several statements about its support for diversity, inclusiveness and marriage equality for LGBT couples, including one penned by the CEO himself. Three board members have also resigned from the foundation, although it says that's not related to the CEO choice. Mozilla says that OkCupid never reached out to it to "confirm facts" (the full statement from a spokesperson is included below) but so far is sticking to its previous responses -- we'll see if Eich's request for "the time to "show, not tell" is granted. Update (4/2): CNET mentions that OkCupid has removed the notice, and the company says it plans to issue a statement "in the next few days."
Microsoft is announcing an 'intersection of cloud and mobile computing' later this month
How does Satya Nadella run a Microsoft press event? We're about to find out: the company's new CEO will is coming to San Francisco later this month to talk about "news focused on the intersection of cloud and mobile computing." The topic certainly plays to his strengths. Before taking the helm as the company's new chief executive, Nadella played a major role in launching Office 365, Microsoft's subscription and cloud-based Office platform. While that application is already accessible from mobile devices, native Android and iOS Office apps have reportedly been on Microsoft's roadmap for some time too, and we wouldn't be surprised if they surfaced at this event. Microsoft won't speak further on the specifics of the event, but we won't have to wait long -- Nadella takes the stage on March 27th.
Tim Cook's leadership style goes under the microscope in new book
Whatever you think of Apple's products, there's no denying that Tim Cook has played a large role in making them profitable, first as an operations executive and later in running the company. But just what kind of a leader is he? Thanks to an excerpt from Yukari Iwatani Kane's upcoming book Haunted Empire, we have a clearer picture of what makes Cook tick. He's both very meticulous and a motivator, according to Kane. While he's known for holding six-hour review meetings and chewing people out for minor slip-ups, he also inspires hard work and encourages a charitable, friendly atmosphere at 1 Infinite Loop. He's also characterized as relentless -- the sort who'd go straight to the office after a red-eye flight. The excerpt likely won't change your mind on Cook's strategy, but it's worth a read if you want to know what drives one of the technology industry's most distinctive CEOs.
Kongregate CEO to step down
Jim Greer is stepping down as Kongregate's CEO, he announced in a forum post on the indie game portal's website. His sister Emily Greer will become the site's CEO, and Jim will stay with the site "half time" while also launching a non-profit political action group, according to Gamasutra. The change will go into effect on February 28. Kongregate is host to thousands of games, both downloadable and browser-based, and also has its own in-house game development team. The gaming portal was acquired by GameStop in July 2010. GameStop established a $10 million mobile game fund for Kongregate earlier this month. [Image: Kongregate]
Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside confirms he's leaving for Dropbox
Not that we had serious doubts about the Wall Street Journal's report, but it's nice to get confirmation of Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside's departure. Less than two years after taking over the position from Sanjay Jha, who ran the company before the Google acquisition, Woodside is stepping down to become the first COO of Dropbox. The move comes just weeks after the announcement that Lenovo would be taking Moto off of Google's hands. It also raises questions about the future direction of the brand which shifted its focus towards affordability and customization over the last year, even if Woodside assures that Motorola management "remains focused on our current strategy." Obviously there is still work to be done during the transition from one owner to another, so Jonathan Rosenberg who has been Senior Vice President of Product will be stepping in as COO of Motorola to work with the rest of the leadership team.
Meizu's elusive founder returns to office as CEO amid resignations
As Chinese phone maker Meizu approaches its eleventh anniversary come March 14th, its notoriously reclusive founder Jack Wong made a surprise return -- in front of cameras, no less -- to his company's Zhuhai headquarters this weekend as CEO. Wong, who is now 40 years old, has apparently avoided setting foot in his office for years -- he even used to leave home just once a month to get his haircut, and he only held meetings with just a handful of key employees, according to our sources. During yesterday's recorded Q&A session, the slightly brash yet charismatic exec confirmed this odd little fact, blaming a series of events several years ago that led to exhaustion. But now he's ready to go full time again, instead of just occasionally posting on his company's online forum and designing prototypes at home. "I plan to lead everyone, lead Meizu, lead the whole team to make a new start, to a more extraordinary, more prosperous 10 years," Wong said in front of his employees.
Second Life developer Linden Lab picks new CEO, Ebbe Altberg
Linden Lab announced Ebbe Altberg as its new CEO today. He joins the company following former CEO Rod Humble's departure late last week. Altberg was previously COO of professional networking company BranchOut and SVP of Media Products for Yahoo. Linden Lab is best known for developing Second Life, a Sims-like online virtual world for PC, Mac and Linux that first launched in June 2003. It also acquired the indie-focused game distribution platform Desura in July 2013. [Image: Linden Lab]
Microsoft's next CEO is Satya Nadella
Microsoft announced Satya Nadella as its new CEO this morning. Nadella joined Microsoft in 1992, and is now upgrading from his previously held position as Executive Vice President of the company's Cloud and Enterprise group. The new CEO is credited with bringing Microsoft's various services to the cloud. Additionally, founder Bill Gates will take a new role on the Board of Directors as Founder and Technology Advisor, "supporting Nadella in shaping technology and product direction." In his stead, John Thompson will take the role of Chairman with the Board. The company's previous longtime CEO, Steve Ballmer, announced that he would retire "within a year" back in August 2013. Prior to the announcement, Ballmer named Julie Larson-Green the head of the Devices and Studios Engineering Group, the division created in the company's organizational shift to include the Xbox brand in it.
Meet Satya Nadella, the man tasked with reinventing Microsoft
Steve Ballmer couldn't change Microsoft fast enough. During his 13-year stint as CEO, the company failed to get in front of major technological developments. It struggled to keep pace with the likes of Apple and Google in mobile and search and saw lackluster adoption of its first round of tablets. Ballmer created a sluggish corporate culture that pitted employees against each other, and he wasn't moving fast enough to right his wrongs. It was time for him to move on. On August 23rd, 2013, the 34-year Microsoft veteran announced that he would retire within the year. The company's board set out on a highly publicized five-month journey to find its next leader. Ballmer's Harvard classmate and Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates, would join the committee to find a replacement who could follow through on its mission to become a devices and services business in an increasingly fast-paced industry. Over the next five months, the board of directors, led by John Thompson, would narrow its pool of more than 100 candidates to just a few. As time wore on, speculation escalated and outsiders like former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop and Ford CEO Alan Mulally emerged as frontrunners in the glacial race. Meanwhile, rumors pegged internal candidates like former Skype CEO Tony Bates and EVP of Cloud and Enterprise Satya Nadella as possible contenders. All of that speculation came to an end today when the board appointed Nadella as the third CEO in the company's near 40-year history. Like Ballmer before him, Nadella is a company man, with more than two decades at Microsoft. He understands how the Microsoft of old works and has managed to lead its cloud and enterprise services to great success, but questions remain about his ability to lead the company into the future.
Microsoft chooses cloud and enterprise head Satya Nadella as third CEO
Microsoft has officially named Steve Ballmer's successor: Satya Nadella. Now the third CEO in the company's history, he most recently has led Redmond's efforts in the cloud and enterprise space. With 22 years at the company, Nadella is certainly not the outsider many predicted would take over the role. But the board, including co-founder Bill Gates himself, believe that he's just the man to lead Microsoft into the future. His success in pushing the platform-agnostic Office 365, in addition to both consumer-facing and enterprise cloud solutions, bodes well for a company who has seen its bread-and-butter products of Windows and Office struggle in the post PC world. The naming of Nadella as CEO represents something of a return to its roots for Microsoft. While Gates ultimately proved to have solid business instincts, he was at heart a computer nerd (for lack of a better term). Ballmer, on the other hand, was a student of economics and an MBA dropout. Nadella received degrees in electrical engineering and computer science before eventually moving on to the University of Chicago's MBA program. [Image credit: Microsoft]
Second Life CEO Rod Humble leaves Linden Lab
Rod Humble, CEO of Linden Lab for the past three years, officially announced via Facebook that he has left the company. Humble has worked on both The Sims and EverQuest, pretty much exactly the two games that you would think could be mashed together into Second Life. Linden Lab has not issued a statement about Humble's replacement at this time. In a statement on the move, Humble wished his former coworkers and customers the best of fortunes, stating that he was moving on to form a startup company to make "art, entertainment, and unusual things." Whether or not this will be another startup in the online gaming space or something entirely different remains to be seen.
