Microsoft holds annual shareholder meeting

REDMOND, Wash. — Dec. 3, 2014  Speaking to shareholders at Microsoft Corp.’s annual meeting today, Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella highlighted the company’s strategic direction and continued progress in becoming the productivity and platform company for the mobile-first and cloud-first world.

“We are committed to building a thriving organization and culture that will enable everyone at Microsoft to do their very best work as we focus on delivering the next wave of innovation, growth and long-term shareholder value,” Nadella said.

Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood recapped Microsoft’s solid fiscal year 2014 performance and reported a strong start to the current fiscal year, with improved execution across all the company’s businesses. Hood noted that the company is investing in high-growth opportunities and remains focused on delivering long-term shareholder value.

“I’m very pleased with the results we delivered in 2014 and excited about the opportunities we have as a company in 2015 and beyond,” Hood said. “We firmly believe that the highest shareholder value has always been created by delivering the products and services our customers love and use, which will enable us to capitalize on the massive opportunities in a mobile-first, cloud-first world.”

The following proposals were acted on by the company’s shareholders at the shareholder meeting:

  • Elected 10 directors to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders. All director nominees received a vote of more than 92 percent of votes cast.
  • Approved, on an advisory basis, the fiscal year 2014 compensation of the company’s named executive officers. The advisory measure received more than 72 percent of votes cast.
  • Ratified the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the company’s independent auditor, with a vote of nearly 99 percent of votes cast.
  • Rejected a shareholder proposal to allow proxy access for shareholders. The shareholder proposal received approximately 10 percent of votes cast.

Microsoft’s board of directors consists of John W. Thompson, Microsoft chairman and chief executive officer of Virtual Instruments; William H. Gates, Microsoft founder and technology advisor; Maria M. Klawe, president of Harvey Mudd College; Teri List-Stoll, chief financial officer and executive vice president at Kraft Foods Group; G. Mason Morfit, president of ValueAct Capital; Satya Nadella, Microsoft chief executive officer; Charles H. Noski, former vice chairman of Bank of America Corp.; Dr. Helmut Panke, former chairman of the board of management at BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG; Charles Scharf, chief executive officer of Visa Inc; and John Stanton, chairman of the board of Trilogy International Partners. Eight of the 10 board members are independent of Microsoft, which is consistent with the requirement in the company’s governance guidelines that a substantial majority be independent.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services, devices and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

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