We have the best platform to change the world: Satya Nadella

Interview with Newly-appointed CEO, Microsoft

Soon after his appointment as Microsoft's new chief executive, Satya Nadella talks about his focus areas and the challenges ahead. Edited experts from an interview:

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am 46 years old. For 22 of those years, I have been with Microsoft. I am married for 22 years; I know my wife since high school. We have three kids. Like anyone else, how I think has been shaped by my experiences. I would say the one thing that defines me is I love to learn; I get excited about new things. I buy more books than I read or finish; I sign up for more online courses than I can actually finish. The thing about being able to watch people, do great things and learn new concepts is something that truly excites me.

Tell us why you wanted this.

It was a question I asked myself when the opportunity came up. When I think about the core of why I am here, it is about impact in a software-powered world. What's a better place than Microsoft in terms of being able to take all of those? The human potential we have in the soon-to-be 130,000 people and apply it to a world that is rapidly becoming more software-driven; there were opportunities is what fundamentally drove me and made me raise my hands for this job.

How did you feel when you were offered this role and when did you accept it?

Honoured, humbled, excited-these are the three words that come to my mind. We have tremendous opportunities and that's inspiring. Also, I am grounded on the challenges. In fact, that is the adventure; the constraint also creates the competitive zeal in me to be able to do great work.

As you step into the new role, what is your primary focus?

The first thing I want to do is focus on ruthlessly removing obstacles that obstruct us to innovate, every individual in the organisation to innovate. Then, I will focus on things Microsoft can do uniquely. We are the company that enables people to do more---to play, to have more fun, to create more. So, sometimes, we refer to ourselves as the 'do-more company'. I want us to take that focus on innovation forward. And last, I want every one of us to find more meaning at work. We spent far too much of time at work for it not have deep meaning.

You talked about the focus on innovation. Where do you see opportunities for Microsoft?

Going forward, it is a mobile-first, cloud-first world. In other words, everything is becoming digital and software-driven. So, I think of the opportunities as being unbounded; we need to be able to pick the unique contribution we want to bring, and that's where our heritage lies of having been the productivity company to being the 'do-more' company. Getting every individual and every organisation to get more out of every moment of their lives is what we want to be focused on.

Why do you feel Microsoft is going to be successful?

We have the talent, the resources and perseverance that no one else has. You take that and combine it with the fact that going forward, the world will be more of a software-powered one, delivered in devices and services. I think we have the best platform to change the world.