Microsoft appoints first female CFO

On May 9, Microsoft announced that its corporate vice president Amy Hood has been appointed as the new CFO to replace Peter Klein, the former chief financial officer. Peter Klein will remain at Microsoft until the end of June this year to ensure a smooth transition of the appointment. Wood's appointment will take effect on the same day.

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive officer, said: “As we continue to focus on the company’s equipment and services, Amy Wood will also use her talents and experience. To the role of chief financial officer, Wood has always been a leader in the Microsoft business sector, helping Microsoft to transition to services such as Office 365, and spending a lot of time and energy on these businesses, thus promoting the strong performance of these businesses. Performance and effective operational management."

Ami Wood, who is 41 years old, joined Microsoft in December 2002 and currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer of the Microsoft Business Unit. He is responsible for Microsoft's $24.1 billion business department-related financial strategy, management, and reporting. During his tenure as the Chief Financial Officer of Microsoft Business, Wood had been deeply involved in the company's strategy development and fully implemented Microsoft's mergers and acquisitions with companies such as Skype and Yammer. Prior to this, Wood was also the director of Microsoft's Server and Tool department, and later managed the business strategy and business development of Microsoft's business affairs. In 2010, he became the chief financial officer of Microsoft's business department.

For the new appointment, Wood also said: "I am very happy to be the new chief financial officer of Microsoft and I hope to work closely with our investors and shareholders. Peter has built a world-class financial team for Microsoft. I will continue to abide by the company’s strict discipline on costs and focus on promoting shareholder value.”

Wood previously worked at Goldman Sachs and held various positions at Goldman Sachs, including investment banking and capital markets. Wood holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Duke University and a master's degree in business administration from Harvard University.

After this appointment, Amy Wood will become the first female CFO in Microsoft's history. At the same time, Microsoft also appointed Julie Larson-Green and Tami Reller as heads of the Windows business, marking the first time that the business unit was not men leadership.