Ford Board to Ponder Mulally Successor?

When Ford Motor Co.'s board convenes in Dearborn, Mich., Wednesday night, it's likely to informally discuss persistent media rumors that CEO Alan Mulally will jump to Microsoft Corp. in 2014, says Bloomberg News.

Whether the board will feel moved to do anything about those rumors is unclear.

Industry analyst Maryann Keller tells Bloomberg that Ford undoubtedly has a successor in mind regardless of whether Mulally retires early or at the end of next year as he has repeatedly indicated. When the time comes, she adds, Ford must act quickly to publicly name and appoint his successor.

The company's entire top management, including Mulally, has declared in no uncertain terms that he remains fully focused on Ford. But the company has been mum about the identity of its next CEO.

In the meantime, consultants tell the news service, rumors about Mulally's eventual departure are an unwelcome distraction for Ford. One says the media buzz may push the company to announce a successor soon.

Bloomberg's sources at Microsoft say the software giant is nowhere near choosing a successor for CEO Steve Ballmer, who announced in August that he would retire within 12 months.