Amy Hood has become the first female to be appointed chief financial officer of Microsoft Corp, announced the software giant in a statement Wednesday.
Hood, a Microsoft ten-year veteran, is expected to leverage her experience in deal-making to oversee the finances of the Seattle-based tech giant most profitable unit.
Prior to succeeding Peter Klein as CFO, Hood, 41, was finance chief of the business division, alongside Tami Reller, her counterpart at the Windows unit.
In her previous role, Hood played a pivotal role in acquisition of companies such as Skype Technologies SA. She’s also credited for overseeing finances for a unit that generated $24 billion in sales and $15.7 billion in operating profit in fiscal 2012.
In her current role, she’s expected to play a key role overseeing Microsoft’s $74.5 billion in cash and investments while helping Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer cope with plunging demand for personal computers and growing concerns over the company’s struggle to keep pace with rivals in phones and tablets.
“She has a great track record,” stated Brent Thill, an analyst at UBS AG. “[The Business division] had a sustainable track record where Wall Street doubted that business’s ability to grow, and it’s grown every year.”
According to Bloomberg, Hood has a blunt, straight-talking style honed over eight years at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and is not afraid to tell top executives, even Ballmer, if she disagrees with an idea, according to a person who has worked with her.
“She’s super friendly to shareholders,” Thrill said. “She’s very approachable, open and easy to work with.”
